Trapped into Whoniverse, part 1
by MoonRaven95
Summary: Sierra Adler is a normal girl. A normal Whovian would be a better definition actually. One day she suddenly finds herself from the Whoniverse without any way back home. She runs in Rose Tyler and a bit after that meets the Ninth Doctor. Adventures are waiting and so is danger. How long can she keep her identity as a secret? One OC, no fangirling, no Doctor/OC romance in this one.
1. Rose and ?

**A/N: Hello again! This is my very first Doctor Who fic. Honestly, that tv show rules!**

**I have no idea how often I'll update as the chapters are kinda long. But I try to do at least the first season of the modern series i.e. the Ninth Doctor's time. Wish me luck.**

**About this fic in general. Sierra isn't stealing Rose's place or trying to overrun any of the character's. Actually she prefers staying on the background more and observe others. Don't worry though, she won't be just a push over though. She is actually quita badass. :-D You'll see. But all in all this fic focuses on Sierra and if there's some scenes where sha won't be at all I won't write them. Unless the other characters happen to talk about her or something. Hm... If I have something else, I'll tell you.**

**Oh, and the first part of this chapter is in present. Otherwise this will be in past tense. I just had a bit problems with this beginning...**

**And I have no idea when the first episode took place so I just threw in some date.**

* * *

**Rose and…?**

It's rather dark in the bedroom. The curtains are closed but some day light can be seen to pour into the room. It's silent also in the other rooms of the apartment.

_Beep… Beep-beep… Beep-beep-beep… _The alarm of the cell phone on the floor is cut short when a slender hand picks it up and shuts it. It's 6:15 AM. The duvet shifts a bit and a head with messy sandy-blonde hair rises. The girl looks around tiredly, her phone still on her hand. The room is now brighter and shown properly. The walls are white; the carpet is dark blue while the bookshelf is light blue. The desk right under a window is white and a lot of drawings are scattered on it and all over the wall above the bed. The girl sits up and after yawning and stretching, she finally also gets up. She takes her clothes from a chair nearby and walks to the bathroom. As she does so, she walks past a calendar. It's the 21st of April 2015 and the girl's name is Sierra Adler.

* * *

Sierra exited the bathroom after a refreshing shower. She was wearing blue jeans and red shirt and had pulled her shoulder-length hair on a high ponytail. She could hear her little brother sleeping in his room. She peeked carefully in. Her wristwatch was on the desk right next to his computer. Had he stayed awake the whole night fixing it per her request? Silly boy. Silly but adorable little genius. Okay, maybe not so little. He was fifteen already. Sierra smirked and strode into the room.

"Rise and shine! It's morning sleepyhead!" She yanked the curtains open so the sun could shine right at the boy's face. He murmured something and turned towards the wall. Sierra grinned. He was now bound to get up. Sooner or later.

The water boiler made its regular noise as the tea water boiled. Sierra was reading the day's newspaper whilst waiting. She poured some of the hot water in a tea can and after two minutes the tea was ready to drink. She sat down at the table again a tea mug about the London Underground map in her hands. Soon enough her brother also decided to join on breakfast.

"Morning Scott. Did you fix my watch?" Sierra asked.

"Yeah, I re-programmed it with a new program I found via Internet. Aside from the time it also shows where you are." Scott answered his mouth full of toast.

"A GPS?"

"Contacts satellites and get the time and location from them, yes."

"Fantastic!" The girl grinned. She got up and fetched her watch from the boy's room. Then she walked back to her own. A round backpack was lying on her now-made bed. The bed cover was also dark blue. Sierra pulled on her denim jacket and took a necklace on her desk. She pulled the silver chain over her head and ensured it wasn't stuck on her ponytail. She flipped the backpack on her back and adjusted it comfortably.

"I'm off!" She called from the front door, clipping her watch on her left wrist and shutting the door then. It was 7:05 AM now.

* * *

Sierra walked along the streets a smile on her face. It was really beautiful day. Sun was almost shining and a slight breeze was going through her hair and open jacket. She checked the time from her watch. Yup, Scott had been right. It was showing now also the date and her location: Helsinki, Finland. She let her arm fall on her side. Unbeknownst to her, the numbers and letters started to change rapidly on the screen of the watch. But she did notice when it was winding harder and the air was downright _rippling_. Like during a hot day right above highways or above campfires. No, it was actually rippling more like a forest pond when a tiny stone had been thrown into it and the surface was settling down.

"Wha–…" Everything went black in her eyes for a second.

* * *

"_Okay, I've got her. She seems to be fine. This is wrong time and place though. I'm putting the right coordinates… now. Two seconds and she'll open her eyes…"_

Sierra opened her eyes. She had no idea what had happened. Absolutely none. Only vaguely she could remember that female voice talking but not what was it about. She didn't recognize it either. And on each passing second it became harder to remember. Like a distant dream.

"Gah, I gotta snap out of it." Sierra shook her head violently and looked up. She found herself standing in the middle of a busy street. The air was now chillier and the buildings were completely different. The billboards were in English too.

"Where am I?" She looked at her watch. It said now 7:58 AM, 14th March 2005, London, England.

"What!? This can't be right." She started to walk along in the crowd, tapping the screen of the watch. This was utterly impossible. How in hell she was in England so suddenly? She continued the tapping, her eyes fixed on the watch until she bumped into someone who was stepping off a bus. A blonde girl. Sierra didn't really pay any attention on her, just mumbled an apology. In Finnish.

"Excuse me?" The girl asked in English. She was just staring Sierra. Sierra, realizing her mistake, looked up and had to take a few steps backwards. The girl staring her was none other than Rose Tyler.

"Oh God…" Sierra mumbled but pulled herself together then. "I meant I was sorry. For bumping into you. I was a bit in my own thoughts. My watch is malfunctioning." To emphasize her point, she lifted her watch in the view. Rose tilted her head to see the time in the watch.

"Looks perfectly okay to me." She stated, frowning a bit.

"Is it really? I swear it wasn't a minute ago…"

* * *

Rose didn't know what to think about the unfamiliar girl. She seemed sane enough but something was a bit off. She was lost but not like a tourist who has fallen off the map. More like she didn't know why she was there. Argh, she didn't have time for this.

"My name is Rose Tyler." Rose finally decided to introduce herself. The girl took her hand and shook it firmly but let go soon.

"Pleasure to meet you Rose Tyler." She smiled brightly. On the background they both could hear the Big Ben chiming.

"Oh, God I'm late." Rose realized and dashed off before the girl got a chance to introduce herself. In the corner of her eye she saw though that the girl wasn't surprised or offended at all about it. Just mouthing 'bye'.

"Weird girl…" She thought and didn't see how the stranger continued her way and tapping the watch.

* * *

Rose ran out of the Hendrik's. She didn't understand fully what had just happened and what was this all about. Heck, she was even carrying the dummy's plastic arm. Random thoughts occupied her mind so much that she almost got driven over by a taxi. And she would have if someone had pulled her back.

"Hey, watch it!" The taxi driver shouted and accelerated away.

"Won't happen again!" The mystery person called after it but - after seeing the driver didn't care - huffed, irritated. Rose looks up to see the same girl she had bumped into in the morning.

"You?"

"Me. C'mon, let's hurry. I don't wanna be anywhere near when the police arrive." The girl took a good hold on Rose's arm and started pulling her across the street, to the direction Rose had been originally running to.

"Why would they–?" Rose was about to ask when an explosion on the roof reminded her why she had been running.

"That's why." The unnamed girl stated calmly and kept pulling the blonde behind her. "You ought to go home now."

"Wait, how did you know about the explosion? And what was your name again? I didn't quite catch it last time."

"A whole lot of questions you are. I didn't tell you my name earlier. You hurried off. Just in case, it's Sierra Adler. Like Irene Adler but younger and cooler. And about how I knew that explosion was about to go off… It's a long and complicated story that I'm not going to tell." The girl, Sierra smirked slightly and let finally go of Rose's arm. "But now, Rose Tyler, if I were you I'd hurry. Maybe even run. Your mother must be worried. And a free piece of advice: get rid of that fake arm as soon as possible."

"How about you? Sierra?" Rose asked.

"What about me?"

"Where are you going? Your accent tells me you aren't from here and last time we saw you were obviously lost."

"No, I weren't!" Sierra argued but Rose merely raised her eye brow. This made the brunette sigh. "Oh, fine! I don't know where to go. But I'll be fine. I promise."

"You could come to my place. I'm sure mum won't mind. I have friends over time to time so you'll just blend in. And mum doesn't keep tally on them." Rose suggested. Sierra considered the offer for a while. Or would have if the sirens behind them hadn't forced them to move.

"Crap. Fine, I'm coming… Thanks." She thanked the blonde as they ran away. Near the Tylers' home they ran past a blue police box. Rose paid no attention to it but Sierra smiled slightly at the sight of it and shook her head amusedly. "Soon…"

* * *

Rose and Sierra sat on sofa, watching the news and drinking tea. The fake arm had been tossed on an arm chair nearby.

"_The whole of Central London has been closed off as police investigate the fire. Earlier reports in the..."_

Rose's mother Jackie is talking to phone. She had been so relieved to see Rose alright so she had accepted Sierra's presence right away.

"I know, it's on the telly! It's everywhere! She's lucky to be alive! Honestly, it's aged her. Skin like an old bible. Walking in now you'd think I was _her_ daughter! Oh and here's himself..." Jackie babbled. A smile crept on Sierra face. The whole situation was quite unbelievable. She was in Whoniverse, sitting in the Tylers' living room! She turned a bit to see Mickey enter.

"Who…?"

"My boyfriend, Mickey Smith." Rose answered.

"Ah…"

The young man strode to Rose and gave her a hug while saying: "I've been phoning your mobile, you could've been dead! It's on the news and everything! I can't believe that your shop went up!"

"I'm alright, honestly, I'm fine! Don't make a fuss." Rose almost laughed and hugged back. Mickey sat on the sofa next to her.

"Yeah, one motormouth is already enough." Sierra spared a glance towards Jackie who was oblivious about the exchange. Rose elbowed her. "Sorry…" She mumbled, not sounding sorry at all.

"Who are you?" Mickey asked.

"Sierra Adler. Friend of Rose's and a partner in crime."

"Sierra!"

"Well, it's true. We ran away from the scene about the time the shop blew up. It's seems quita suspicious to me…" The brunette shrugged but after seeing the duo's faces she sighed. "Some humor, please."

Mickey, deciding to ignore Sierra now, turned his whole attention on Rose. "Well, what happened?"

"I don't know!" Came the reply.

"What was it though, what caused it?"

"I wasn't in the shop, I was outside, I didn't see anything..."

"Like I said we were already leaving." Sierra put in. Mickey was about ask more questions but thankfully Jackie walked in, interrupting him.

"It's Debbie on the other end, she knows a man from the Mirror - five hundred quid for an interview!" She told her daughter.

"Oh that's brilliant! Give it here!" Rose took the phone and hung up.

"Well, you've gotta find some way of making money. Your jobs kaput and I'm not bailing you out." Jackie huffed at Rose's behavior but got distracted as the phone rang again. "Beth! She's alive! I tell ya, sue for compensation! She was within seconds of death..."

"Motormouth." Sierra stated again but was ignored. Again.

"What're you drinking?" Mickey asked, peering into Rose's tea cup. "Tea? No, no-no. That's no good, that's no good. You're in shock, you need something stronger."

"Why?" Rose asked back, half amused and half puzzled.

"You deserve a proper drink. You and me, we're going down the pub, my treat. How about it?!

"Is there a match on?" Sierra smirked impishly. "What a boyfriend you have, Rose."

Rose rolled her eyes but repeated the other girl's question.

"I'm just thinking about you, babe!" Mickey replied, a tad defensively.

"There's a match on, ain't there."

"Well, that's not the point…" Mickey trailed off. "We could catch the last five minutes."

"Go on then. I'm fine, really. And Sierra is here with me." Rose patted Sierra's shoulder. "Go. Get rid of that..." She pointed the fake arm lying on the armchair. Mickey picked the arm up after getting a kiss from Rose and waved with it.

"Buh Bye!"

"Bye!"

Mickey pretended to strangle himself with the arm before leaving. Rose shook her head with a smile on her lips and turned her attention back to the news. Sierra on the other hand wasn't amused.

"_...fire then spread throughout the store... there is very little chance of saving the infrastructure..." _The news reporter read.

* * *

Jackie walked around the quiet apartment. Rose and Sierra were still asleep. Only just. The woman peeked into Rose's room. There they were. Sleeping soundly next to each other. Rose was lying on her back while Sierra was curled up against her and hugging her right arm. Jackie smiled fondly and closed the door. What a good friends they were…

* * *

The alarm clock's red digital numbers showed 7:30 AM and it started to ring. Rose slammed her hand on it, like she had done on every morning this far. She sat up slowly and noticed that Sierra was already gone. She could hear her mother from the kitchen.

"There's no point in getting up, sweetheart. You've got no job to go to." Rose's head floped back on her pillow but after a while she got on her feet and exited the room. She found Sierra from the kitchen, drinking tea and reading the day's paper. Rose sat down and took some toast for breakfast. Jackie started to talk to her about getting a new job now.

"There's Finches... you could try them. They've always got jobs."

"Oh, great. The butchers." Rose mumbled. Sierra stuck out her tongue and made an 'eww' face.

"Well it might do you good! That shop was giving you airs and graces. And I'm not joking about getting compensation - you've had genuine shock and trauma! Arianna got two thousand quid off the council just because the old man behind the desk said she looked Greek! I know she IS Greek, but that's not the point - it's a valid claim." Jackie rambled and left the kitchen. Rose could hear Sierra letting out a sigh of relief.

"How long were you up?"

"Not long. I got up about a half an hour before your clock rang. Some years backwards I had to get up on six. I do that now too. More of a habit now though..." Sierra trailed off as they heard a rattling sound. The two exchanged a glance and got up almost simultaneously. They went to the hall.

* * *

"Mum, you're such a liar, I told you to nail that cat flap down. We're going to get strays!" Rose called to… where-ever Jackie happened to be.

"I did it weeks back!" The blonde's mother called back.

"No, you thought about it!"

The girls looked at the cat flap to see that the screws had fallen out onto the floor. The cat flap was now moving violently. Rose took a step backwards, but stepped forward then. Sierra was already on her knees in front of the door and peering out of the cat flap as it moved. Rose kneeled next to her and poked the cat flap open gingerly. The Doctor's face is right outside it.

"Oh…" The man said.

"You know… Usually when one's trying to break in, they pick the lock or use the mail slot." Sierra remarked dryly.

"Oh…" He said again and Rose sprung on her feet and opened the door. Sierra barely got out of the way.

"What're you doing here?" The Doctor frowned.

"I live here." Rose replied.

"Well, what do you do that for?" Sierra barely hold back a laugh as she also got on her feet.

"Because I do! And I'm only at home because someone blew up my job."

"And you?" The Doctor addressed to Sierra.

"Just staying over a night or two." She shrugged.

The Doctor took the sonic screwdriver from his pocket. "Must've got the wrong signal. You're not plastic, are you?" He knocked on Rose's forehead. "No, bonehead. Bye, then!" He tried leave, but Rose grabbed his arm and pulled him back inside.

"You, inside. Right now." She shut the door.

"Who is it?" Jackie called, this time from bedroom. Rose poked her head in.

"It's about last night. He's part of the inquiry. Give us 10 minutes."

"She deserves compensation." Sierra chuckled.

"Huh, we're talking millions." The Doctor leaned against the doorframe, waiting for Rose to come back. Jackie watched at him for a moment and stood up then, flirtatiously.

"I'm in my dressing gown." The woman said. Sierra decided to face the other way and let out a sound that suspiciously sounded like 'eurgh'.

"Yes, you are."

"There's a strange man in my bedroom."

"Technically he isn't _in_ your bedroom." Sierra put in quietly. Jackie barely noticed her.

"Yes, there is." The Doctor said nonchalantly.

"Well, anything could happen."

"Oh, definitely not." Sierra stalked off. The Doctor followed her after saying a 'no' to Jackie. The Tyler matriarch pulled a face at his back.

* * *

"Don't mind the mess. Do you want a coffee?" Rose asked as she led her 'guest' into the living room.

"Might as well, thanks! Just milk." The Doctor smiled and sat down. Sierra sat opposite him. Rose went into the kitchen to make the promised coffee.

"We should go to the police. Seriously. Both of us." She told him. The Doctor wasn't paying attention. He picked up a gossip magazine.

"Anything interesting?" Sierra asked.

"That won't last, he's gay and she's an alien." The Doctor mumbled to himself and tossed the magazine aside. "Sorry, what did you say?"

Sierra just snorted and shook her head.

"I'm not blaming you, even if it was just some sort of joke that went wrong." Rose walked in and started to pace around. The Doctor picked up a book now and flicked through it.

"Sad ending." He stated.

"They said on the news they'd found a body." Rose continued her monologue.

"Probably that Wilson guy." Sierra mused.

"Sorry, what?" Rose stopped. "How do you know about Wilson?"

"Like I said. Long and complicated story I'm not telling." The brunette waved the blonde off. The Doctor picked up an envelope and read the name on it.

"Rose Tyler…" He lifted his gaze up and looked into mirror. "Ahh, could've been worse! Look at me' ears."

"The next is better." Sierra whispered to herself. This went completely unnoticed as Rose continued pacing and the Doctor took a pack of cards to shuffle.

"All the same, he was nice. Nice bloke."

"Luck be a lady!"

"Well anyway if we are going to go to the police, I want to know what I'm saying."

The Doctor shuffled the cards again and managed to make them all go flying.

"I want you to explain everything." Rose finally stopped and looked the Doctor directly. His attention was in the cards though.

"Maybe not." He mumbled and looked behind himself, his eyes directed on the back of the couch. "What's that then? You got a cat?"

"No..." Rose frowned. Sierra got up. The Doctor leaned behind the sofa. The fake arm leaped out and grabbed him by the neck. Rose continued the topic with the cat.

"We did have, but there's these strays. They come in off the estate..."

Behind her, the Doctor was being strangled viciously by the hand while he tried vainly to fight it off. She didn't really register that the Doctor was being harassed by a plastic hand. Sierra attempted to help him but got thrown back on the armchair she had been sitting moment earlier.

"I told Mickey to chuck that out..." Rose put the coffee down on the table. "Honestly, give a man a plastic hand... Anyway, I don't even know your name, Doctor... what was it?"

"Rose, not all the men are same than Mickey the idiot!" Sierra huffed and heavied herself up from the chair again. Rose didn't have a chance to reply when the Doctor threw the hand off and it flew across the room, attaching itself to Rose's face. She screamed and the Doctor leaped up to try to pull it off. Sierra in the other hand took some distance. Right in time. The Doctor and Rose crashed onto the coffee table, breaking it, and rolled onto the floor. The Doctor pushed her back onto the sofa quickly and took out his sonic screwdriver. After a second or so the hand was disabled.

"It's alright, I've stopped it. There you go, you see?" He tossed the arm to Rose. "'Armless."

Sierra snorted.

"Do you think?" Rose was using the arm to whack the Doctor on the shoulder.

"Ow!" The Doctor ran to the stairs, Rose hot on his tail. Sierra just sighed in relief and sat down on the floor, right next to the destroyed coffee table. She closed her eyes, recalling the conversation Rose and Doctor was about to have now. Sierra herself didn't belong to this world so she decided not to interfere. At least not too much.

* * *

"_Hold on a minute, you can't just go swanning off."_

"_Yes I can. Here I am, this is me, swanning off. See ya!"_

"_That arm was moving, it tried to kill me!"_

"_Ten out of ten for observation."_

" _You can't just walk away, that's not fair! You've got to tell me what's going on."_

"_No I don't."_

"_Alright then. I'll go to the police. I'll tell everyone. You said, if I did that, I'd get people killed. So, your choice. Tell me, or I'll start talking."_

"_Is that supposed to sound tough?"_

"_Sort of."_

"_Doesn't work."_

"_Who are you?"_

"_I told you! The Doctor."_

"_Yeah. But Doctor what?"_

"_Just the Doctor."_

"_The Doctor."_

"_Hello!"_

"_Is that supposed to sound impressive?"_

"_Sort of."_

"_Come on. You can tell me. I've seen enough. Are you the police?"_

"_No. I was just passing through. I'm a long way from home."_

"_But what have I done wrong? How comes those plastic things keep coming after me?"_

"_Oh! Suddenly the entire world revolves around you! You were just an accident, you got in the way, that's all."_

"_It tried to kill me!"_

"_It was after me, not you! Last night, in the shop, I was there, you blundered it. Almost ruined the whole thing. This morning, I was tracking it down, it was tracking me down... the only reason it fixed on you is that you met me."_

"_Sort of, yeah."_

"_You're full of it!"_

"_Sort of, yeah."_

"_But, all this plastic stuff - who else knows about it?"_

"_No one."_

"_What, you're on your own?"_

"_Well, who else is there? I mean, you lot, all you do is eat chips, go to bed, and watch telly! When all the time, underneath you, there's a war going on!"_

"_Okay, start from the beginning."_

"_If you're gonna go with this living plastic, and I don't even believe that, but if we do... how did you kill it?"_

"_The thing controlling it projects life into the arm. I cut off the signal, dead."_

"_So that's radio control?"_

"_Thought control… Are you alright?"_

"_Yeah. So, who's controlling it, then?"_

"_Long story."_

"_But what's it all for? I mean, shop window dummies... what's that about? Is someone trying to take over Britain's shops?"_

"_No."_

"_I know."_

"_It's not a price war. They want to overthrow the human race and destroy you. Do you believe me?"_

"_No."_

"_But you're still listening."_

"_Really though, Doctor. Tell me - who are you?"_

"_Do you know like we were saying? About the Earth revolving? It's like when you were a kid. The first time they tell you the world's turning and you just can't quite believe it because everything looks like it's standing still. I can feel it. The turn of the Earth. The ground beneath our feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour, and the entire planet is hurtling around the sun at sixty-seven thousand miles an hour, and I can feel it. We're falling through space, you and me. Clinging to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go... That's who I am. Now, forget me, Rose Tyler. Go home."_

* * *

Rose wasn't back yet. She was probably at Mickey's. Jackie was still in her room. Sierra opened her eyes and took her backpack she had placed right next to her. She opened it and flipped upside down. A lot of stuff fell on the floor. More than should have been possible. Majority of them were clothes and them she just folded back into the back pack. Now she was able to take a look on the other items on the carpet. She had some notebooks, her keys, sunglasses, her wallet, a pencil case and a pocket knife. Sierra took her pencil case and opened it. A smile spread on her face. Her lucky pen was still here! The smile was replaced with a frown soon enough. Something was wrong with it. After having it for eleven years or so she knew what she was talking – thinking – about. When Sierra had gotten it from her friend on her eighth birthday, the pen had had invisible ink and a lamp to make the writing visible. The ink had dried out ages ago but the lamp was still working if it had batteries. Sierra took the pen out of the pencil case a examined it. The shape was about the same and the color(light violet) but the size had gone a bit bigger. And she couldn't pull it apart anymore in order to use the pen part of it. The 'pen' had become a one piece instead of two and even the materials had changed a bit. It was now metal with some rubber in the handle instead of being purely plastic. Sierra pressed gingerly the button that activated the lamp. The lamp switched on alright but the pen made also a drilling noise. Sierra let go of the button.

"Could it be…" She pointed the television and pressed the button again. The tv went on. "Excellent. I've my own Sonic now."

* * *

Rose and the Doctor were running through the kitchen of a restaurant and out of a back exit. With the Auton Mickey right behind them but without its head. The Doctor locked a metal door with the sonic screwdriver while Rose tried desperately to find an escape out of the yard they had gotten in. She ran at some locked gates and started banging them.

"Open the gate! Use that tube thing, come on!" She yelled to the Doctor. He looked at the item in his hand.

"What? This? This is a sonic screwdriver."

"Use it!" Rose yelled again.

"Nah. Tell ya what, let's go in here." The Doctor just walked to a police box in the middle of the yard and unlocked it. The Auton Mickey was beginning to get some dents on the door behind them. Rose ran to look at the box.

"We can't hide inside a wooden box!" She ran back to the gate and rattled the chains. "It's gonna get us! Doctor!"

But the Doctor was already inside the box and not hearing what she was saying. Instead someone grabbed Rose's hand. Sierra.

"Come!" She said and started to pull the blonde towards the box.

"That wooden box? All three of us?"

"It's not just a box."

"How do you know that? Where did you even come from?"

"Quit the questions and come. The Doctor might know the situation a tad better than you do." Sierra snapped and pushed the other girl into the box. They heard bang as the Auton Mickey managed finally make a hole in the door.

"It's gonna follow us!" Rose yelped but shut up when she saw how large the interiors of the box were. Sierra was gaping too.

"The assembled hoards of Genghis Khan couldn't get through that door, and believe me, they've tried. Now, shut up a minute." The Doctor said from the console. Rose was frozen still and trembling near the door.

"You see, the arm is too simple, but the head's perfect." The Doctor explained.

"To track them down?" Sierra asked and walked closer, glee in her eyes. Rose was overwhelmed.

"Yes. I can use it to trace the signal back to the original source. Right." The Doctor said almost absent-mindedly and turned then to Rose, giving her his full attention. "Where do you want to start?"

"Um... the inside's bigger than the outside?" The blonde suggested weakly.

"Yes."

"It's alien."

"Yup."

"Are you alien?"

"Yes." After Rose stared, the Doctor added. "Is that alright?"

"Yeah." The blonde replied quickly.

"It's called the TARDIS, this thing. T-A-R-D-I-S, that's Time And Relative Dimension In Space."

"And it's just plain awesome." Sierra grinned.

"Thank you." The Doctor smiled to Sierra but noticed then her presence properly for the first time. He frowned a bit for her lack of a usual response ('It's bigger on the inside.'). "Who are you by the way?"

"Sierra Adler. A friend of Rose's… Kind of."

"Kind of?"

"Met yesterday." She shrugged and started walked around TARDIS. She tapped the center pillar. "She's magnificent."

Rose let out a sob behind them. The Doctor, taking the situation wrong, tried to reassure her.

"That's okay. Culture shock. Happens to the best of us."

"I don't think that's the reason…" Sierra murmured quietly.

"Did they kill him? Mickey? Did they kill Mickey? Is he dead?" Rose asked.

"Oh... didn't think of that."

"He's my boyfriend. You pulled off his head - they copied him and you didn't even think? And now you're just going to let him melt?"

"Do you think they'd kill him right after making a copy of him? And melt? It's just plastic. Real Mickey is somewhere else. Sound and –."

"Melt?" The Doctor turned around just in time to see how the Auton Mickey's head was melting on the console. "Oh, no no no no no. NO!" He started running around, pushing buttons, pulling levers and flipping switches. Rose just stared at him in confusion while Sierra observed his doings in fascination.

"What're you doing?" The blonde asked.

"Reviving the signal, it's fading! Wait I've got it..."The Doctor explained and took a look at a screen. "No No No No No No NO!" The TARDIS lurched as the engines moved. "Almost there! Almost there! Here we go!"

* * *

The engines stopped and the Doctor ran out the TARDIS Sierra right after him.

"You can't go out there, it's not safe!" Rose yelled after them but followed them outside anyways.

"I lost the signal, I got so close." The Doctor huffed.

"Maybe we got close enough to find them... manually." Sierra suggested carefully. She didn't seem confused at all about the sudden change of environment. Rose instead was very confused.

"We've moved! Does it fly?" She stared her surroundings. Again.

"Disappears there, reappears here, you wouldn't understand." The Doctor shrugged. Sierra nodded. She wouldn't either.

"But if we're somewhere else, what about that headless thing? It's still on the loose." Rose continued. Sierra sighed and shook her head briefly.

"It melted with the head, are you going to witter on all night?" The Doctor almost snapped to her.

"I'll have to tell his mother..." Rose mumbled.

"And here comes the monologue." Sierra muttered and sat down on the railings of the bridge they were on. She laid her eyes on the London Eye. How nice it would be to take a ride on it…

The Doctor looked at the blonde questioningly.

"Mickey! I'll have to tell his mother he's dead and you just went and forgot him, again!"

"Do you really think he's dead?" Sierra asked loudly while the Doctor just rolled his eyes, unconcerned.

"You were right, you _are_ alien!" Rose almost shouted and turned around to walk away.

"Look, if I did forget some kid called Mickey– ." The Doctor tried but got crushed by Rose.

"Yeah, he's not a kid." The blonde glared.

"…It's because I'm trying to save the life of every stupid ape blundering on top of this planet, alright?" He continued like she hadn't interrupted.

"Alright!"

"Yes! It is!"

Rose shook her head in disbelief. Sierra did the same but because of the absurdness of the situation.

"If you are an alien, then how comes you sound like you're from the North?"

"Of all the questions…" Sierra mumbled.

"Lots of planets have a North." The Doctor stated, folding his arms and looking away.

"And you must specify that question: do you mean Northern England, North of British Isles or Northern Europe." Sierra put in. "I'm from Northern Europe for example and all you said was that my accent wasn't from here."

"What's a police public call box?" Rose continued, ignoring Sierra completely.

"It's a telephone box from the 1950s." He patted side of TARDIS, a grin on his face. "It's a disguise."

Rose just smiled and shook her head. "Okay. And this living plastic, what's it got against us?"

"Nothing, it loves you. You've got such a good planet. Lots of smoke and oil, plenty of toxins and dioxins in the air... perfect. Just what the Nestene Consciousness needs. It's food stock was destroyed in the war, all its protein plants rotted, so Earth... dinner!"

"The war…" Sierra frowned. Did he mean the Time War or some other war? Most likely the former she guessed.

"Any way of stopping it?"

Grinning, the Doctor took a tube of blue liquid from his jacket. "Anti-plastic!" He announced.

"Anti-plastic..." Rose repeated.

"Anti-plastic." Sierra nodded behind the Doctor.

"Anti-plastic!" The alien announced again. "But first I've got to find it. How can you hide something that big in a city this small?"

"Hold on... hide what?" Rose frowned. At that rate she was going to get wrinkles.

"The transmitter. The Consciousness is controlling every single piece of plastic so it needs a transmitter to boost the signal."

"Kind of an antenna." Sierra added, her eyes again on the London Eye.

"Exactly!"

"What's it look like?"

"Like a transmitter. Round and massive, slap bang in the middle of London." The Doctor started to pace around. "A huge circular metal structure... like a dish..." He faced Rose, his back to the railings of the bridge. He didn't even notice the London Eye behind him. Sierra smirked. How someone so smart could be so daft sometimes? "...like a wheel. Close to where we're standing. Must be _completely_ invisible."

"What about a ferris wheel? It's huge circular metal structure. Like a dish, like a wheel. It doesn't need to be invisible not to attract unwanted attention because it looks normal." Sierra suggested, the smirk never leaving her face.

"Maybe, but is there any ferris wheels nearby?" The Doctor wasn't turning around. Rose instead looked past him and Sierra and smiled a bit as she saw the London Eye.

"What?"

Rose nodded towards the Eye. The Doctor turned around, then back to her, completely nonplussed.

"What?"

Rose shook her head, looking at the Eye still. He turned around but still failed to make the connection.

"What is it? What?"

"Honestly, do you even know what is a ferris wheel?" Sierra huffed while Rose simply continued staring at the London Eye silently. The Doctor turned around again and finally, it clicked.

"Oh... fantastic!"

"Yeah, may I introduce you to the London Eye. One of the world biggest ferris wheels and definitely most famous one." Sierra hopped off the railing. "Now when that matter is solved, shall we go now?"

The Doctor grinned and ran off, his hand in hand with Rose's and Sierra followed just a few steps behind them. They stopped by the foot of the Eye.

"Think of it." He explained. "Plastic, all over the world. Every artificial thing waiting to come alive. The shop window dummies, the phones, the wires, the cables..."

"The breast implants." Rose put in.

"Eww, think what those things would do." Sierra crunched her nose. Rose made a face too.

"Still, we've found the transmitter. The Consciousness must be somewhere underneath."

Rose ran off and found the entrance to a manhole at the foot of the wall she was looking over. Sierra came to her and after considering the situation for a second, she yelled to the Doctor: "What about down here?"

The Doctor joined them. "Looks good to me."

* * *

They ran down the stairs to the manhole. The Doctor took the lid off and red light and smoke poured out. The three of them climbed down the ladder underground. The Doctor opened another door to another chamber and they went down some more steps. The Doctor pointed to a huge, orange, wobbling mass in the middle of the chamber.

"The Nestene Consciousness, that's it, inside the vat. A living, plastic creature."

"Nasty… And ugly." Sierra made a face.

"Well, then. Tip in your anti-plastic and let's go." Rose waved to the direction they had come from.

"I'm not here to kill it. I've got to give it a chance." The Doctor answered and walked closer to the Consciousness. Sierra leaned closer to Rose and whispered: "One chance principle."

"I seek audience with the Nestene Consciousness under peaceful contract. According to convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation."The Doctor addressed to the mass of plastic. The Consciousness wobbled around a bit, probably giving him the permission.

"Thank you. That I might have permission to approach."

* * *

Meanwhile Rose paced around anxiously in the background. Suddenly she spotted Mickey and ran to him. The Doctor merely rolled his eyes.

"Oh, my God! Mickey! It's okay! It's alright!" Rose sat down next to her boyfriend who was terrified as hell. He just pointed the Consciousness

"That thing down there, the liquid, Rose - it can talk!" He was trembling.

"You're stinking!" Rose noticed. "Doctor, they kept him alive!"

"I told you!" Sierra called to the other girl.

"Yeah, that was always a possibility. Keep him alive to maintain the copy." The Doctor nodded.

"You knew that and you never said?" The blonde asked incredously.

"Can we keep the domestics outside, thank you?"

"Don't be rude." Sierra snapped to him. Rose helped Mickey to his feet. The Doctor decided to ignore them all and approached the Consciousness.

"Am I addressing the Consciousness? ... Thank you. If I might observe, you infiltrated this civilization by means of warped, shunt technology. So, may I suggest, with the greatest respect, that you shunt off?"

The plastic globbered in what apparently was a negative manner.

"Oh don't give me that. It's an invasion! Plain and simple! Don't talk about constitutional rights!"

The plastic reared its head-like part of its body angrily.

"I - am - talking! This planet is just starting. These stupid little people have only just learnt how to walk, but they're capable of so much more. I'm asking you on their behalf - please, just go."

"Should we be insulted or flattered about the way he talks about us humans?" Sierra asked Rose who just shrugged. At that moment two Autons decided to approach the Doctor from behind.

"Doctor!" Rose yelled.

The Autons grabbed him. One of them found the anti-plastic from his jacket pocket.

"That was just insurance! I wasn't going to _use_ it." The Doctor shouted but the plastic wasn't believing him judging by the way it globbered angrily.

"I was not attacking you. I'm here to help. I'm not your enemy. I swear, I'm not... what do you mean?" Doors above them all opened to reveal the TARDIS. The Doctor was now almost terrified. "Oh, oh no - honestly, no! Yes, that's my ship."

The plastic roared.

"That's not true. I should know, I was there. I fought in the war - it wasn't my fault! I couldn't save your world! I couldn't save any of them!"

"Yep, he had been talking about the Time War earlier." Sierra concluded.

"What's it doing?" Rose asked.

"It's the TARDIS! The Nestene has identified its superior technology - it's terrified! It's going to the final base. It's starting the invasion! Get out, Rose! Just leg it! Now!" The Doctor shouted.

"What about me?" Sierra huffed.

Rose took out her cell phone and dialed a number.

"Mum? ... Where are you, mum? … Go home! Just go home, right now! … Mum? Mum!"

"It's the activation signal! It's transmitting!" The Doctor realized.

"It needed someone to make a call from here?" Sierra asked this time. Rose was very pale now.

"The end of the world…" She was whispering.

"Not for another five billion years or so, darling!" Sierra clapped the blonde's back with a hint of laughter in her voice. The Doctor was still a hostage though…

"Get out, Rose! Just get out! Run!"

Part of the ceiling was grumbling down.

"The stairs have gone!" Rose shouted back, and she and Mickey ran to the TARDIS, trying desperately to get in.

"I haven't got the key!" The blonde realized, a bit too late. Mickey slid on the floor.

"We're gonna die!" He wailed. Rose watched the Doctor struggling to get to the anti-plastic while Sierra just stood like a statue, like waiting. The blonde made a decision and stood up.

"Just leave him!" Mickey begged. "There's nothing you can do!"

Rose picked up an axe and ran to chains locked on the wall. Sierra turned a bit and smirked.

"I've got no A Levels." Rose told and raised the axe.

"No job..." The axe hit the chains.

"No future…" Another hit.

"But I tell you what I have got. Jericho Street Junior School under 7s gymnastic team." The chain was finally free and Rose grabbed a good hold on it.

"I got the bronze!" She announced and swung across the gap over the Consciousness. Sierra ran closer too and grabbed a hold on the Doctor's arm while kicking one of the Autons down. Rose kicked the other Auton into the Nestene. Anti-plastic was falling too. Unsure whether the tube would break or not, Sierra took the Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver from his jacket pocket and pointed it at the tube. In a few seconds it broke. The Consciousness started to scream. Rose landed safely and the Doctor and Sierra made sure she wouldn't fall in.

"Now we're in trouble." The Doctor said and they all ran to the TARDIS. They managed to reach her right in time as the Consciousness started blowing up_. _Rose looked back at the Consciousness and grinned before she went in and closed the door. The living plastic was starting to die. Just before the whole chamber went up in flames, the TARDIS dematerialized.

* * *

As soon as the landed, Mickey ran backwards out of the TARDIS and fell over, looking terrified. He backed up against a wall. Poor boy was obviously traumatized. Rose, however, stepped out in calmer manner and rang her mother. Rose laughed in relief as she heard Jackie's voice and happy to find out her mother was alive, she hung up.

Rose ran to Mickey as Sierra also stepped out of TARDIS a bit reluctantly. The brunette stuffed her hands into her jeans pockets and sighed a bit, staying a couple of steps from the timemachine.

"A fat lot of good you were!" Rose laughed a bit at Mickey who whimpered. The Doctor stood in the doorway of the TARDIS.

"Nestene Consciousness?" He snapped his fingers. "Easy."

"You were useless in there. You'd be dead if it wasn't for me and Sierra." Rose smirked. Sierra closed her eyes. It was about to come now. Invitation for Rose, and Rose only.

"Yes, I would. Thank you. Right then! I'll be off! Unless, uh... I don't know... you could come with me." There it came. Rose pocketed her hands. The Doctor continued like Sierra had been just air. "This box isn't just a London hopper, you know, it goes anywhere in the universe free of charge."

"Don't! He's an alien! He's a thing!" Mickey pointed him accusingly but in horror.

"He's NOT invited. What do you think? You could stay here and fill your life with work and food and sleep, or you could go, uh... anywhere."

"Is it always this dangerous?" Rose questioned curiously.

"Yeah."

Mickey hugged Rose's legs like a little child. She looked at him. "Yeah, I can't... I've um... gotta go and find my mum and um... someone's gotta look after this stupid lump..." She let out a small laugh and patted Mickey on the back. "So..."

"Okay. See you around." The Doctor and Rose watched each other for a while but then he closed the door. Rose continued looking at the closed door. Sierra was keeping her back turned towards the blue box. The engines of the TARDIS started to do its familiar vworping noise, and it slowly disappears.

"Come on, let's go." Rose told Mickey who is in shock. Even worse than he was before. "C'mon... come on..."

She helped him to his feet and they began to walk away. Sierra didn't move. Rose turned around a bit.

"Sierra?"

"I would have loved to go… But I can't. Not if I'm not invited. You were… and you wasted the opportunity of a life time." The brunette whispered angrily, tears glistening in her eyes and not looking at the blonde. Not that she had expected anything. After all she didn't belong here. But somewhere… somewhere deep she had hoped that she could have been more than just a passer-by.

* * *

The sound of the TARDIS engines was heard again now and the TARDIS reappeared. The Doctor looked out straight at Rose. "By the way - did I mention, it also travels in time?" He grinned. Rose turned to Mickey.

"Thanks."

"Thanks for what?" Mickey asked, utterly confused.

"Exactly." Rose laughed and kissed his cheek before running into the TARDIS with a broad smile on her face. Just at the door she turned around though.

"Sierra…"

"Go… Go and have your fun. I'll just… try to go home." Sierra choked and ran away.

"Sierra!" Rose called after the girl but she was already gone. The Doctor frowned.

"What's with her?" He asked as they stepped into the TARDIS.

"She said she would have wanted to come too but couldn't unless she was invited."

"She's right. Short and emergency trips are alright but for longer trips and more permanent staying aboard one needs a permission from both TARDIS and I."

"Why?"

"Too complicated for you to explain."

"Why didn't you invite her then?"

"I don't know. I could have but… it felt like this wasn't the right time yet. But don't worry, I'm sure we'll run into her sooner or later. Shall we go now?"

"Yes." Rose smiled. An information that she had a chance to meet the mysterious girl again cheered her up a bit. And now she had the whole universe to see!

The Doctor in the other hand was frowning a bit. He found Sierra Adler suspicious somehow. He just couldn't quite place his finger on how or why. Well, it would wait.

* * *

**A/N: Alright, here was the first chapter. Was the end surprising? Don't worry, everything will be fine. Sierra will meet them soon enough. Sooner than they expect actually.**

**Sierra is actually me. At least I reflect a lot of myself into her. The same goes with my other OCs... Barako, Tsukiko, Laura, Pamela... They all are pictures of me. Selfish much? I hope not. At least they aren't Mary Sues. And in Tsukiko and Sierra's case it's understandable because the fics are into some fictional world fics.**

**After this monologue is your time to review. Plz, do so! Plz be nice. See ya soon!**


	2. At the End of the World

**A/N: Righty-o. The next chapter. I bet you have been waiting for this. I'm trying to update once a week or so. The chapters are long you know. And if you want to know about Sierra's clothes she's wearing, go here: art/Sierra-s-outfics-377060751  
**

**I want to thank my reviewers and watchers etc. Continue plz. I really appreciate it. :)**

**Urgh, I always have things to say to you gyus but when I'm writing these parts I completely forget them... Oh well. Let's go back to the story then.**

* * *

**2. At the End of the World**

"Right then, Rose Tyler - you tell me, where do you want to go? Backwards or forwards in time. It's your choice. What's it going to be?" The Doctor asked Rose as he dance around the console.

"Forwards." Rose replied with a smile and the Doctor pressed a few buttons.

"How far?"

"One hundred years."

He pulled a lever and turned a knob. The engines lurched and then stopped after a few seconds. "There you go, step outside those doors, it's the twenty-second century."

"You're kidding."

"That's a bit boring though, do you want to go further?"

"Fine by me!"

The Doctor started up the engines again. When they finally stopped, he looked at her. "Ten thousand years in the future. Step outside, it's the year 12005, the New Roman Empire."

"You think you're so impressive."

"I _am_ so impressive!"

"You wish!"

"Right then, you asked for it. I know exactly where to go." The Doctor started working furiously with one lever. "Hold on!"

* * *

Sierra ran along the streets and alleys, finding herself finally from the Trafalgar Square. She sat down on the feet of the giant monument and breathed heavily. Finally she looked up and started to observe the traffic around her. People, dogs, cars, red two-deckered busses, black taxis… With a sigh she started tapping her watch again. After one longer press on the screen, a bigger transparent screen popped out of it. It was like from some sci-fi movies… The screen is full of numbers and letters, at the moment showing her exact location on Earth.

"_Tock tock tock_." Came from Sierra's jeans pocket. She put her hand in and pulled her cell phone out. She had a new message. She opened it. It was a video message from… herself.

"_Okay, it seems you have just dashed away and are now sitting at Trafalgar Square." _Her – supposedly older – self told. _"And also discovered this screen thingy on your watch. Oh, and found out how cool and Sonic your lucky pen is. Anyways, I need to make some things clear. This is a parallel yet non parallel Whoniverse. It means that you can go around and do minor changes but there are also the fixed points that are same than in the program. The majority of events are the same and your involvement doesn't effect on the show. So you are free to go and interact with people as long as you won't tell spoilers. But you already realized that, right?"_

Sierra nodded but felt stupid then. This was just a message.

"_The main things were about there. But I want to tell you about your equipment a bit. As you noticed earlier, you have a hell lot of stuff in your backpack. Well, it's bigger on the inside. I made some changes… Oops, I shouldn't have told you that yet. Anyways, your cell phone is a super phone now and you can make calls anywhere. Just like Rose and Martha did. There is also a piece of psychic paper in your wallet. Keep a good care of it. It was hard to get. Your pocket knife is a laser knife now, be careful with it."_

Sierra made a note to herself to be extra careful.

"_And the last but not the least advise. Do not tell who you are. You probably have already figured out that much but better safe than sorry. Now bye. I'll contact you next when you are in Game Station."_ The message ended. Sierra pocketed her cell phone. What now? She looked at the bluish screen and started to put in some coordinates. When she was ready, the screen shrunk in but now the watch's screen was shining the same blue color.

"Here we go!" She slammed her palm on the light and was gone. No one on the busy street noticed how a nineteen-year-old girl disappeared with a soft 'zap' sound.

* * *

Sierra was flying! Honestly, she was flying! In the Time Vortex! Just like the TARDIS. And the Time Vortex looked exactly like in the series. Speaking of which… She narrowly missed the TARDIS as she flew past it.

"Whee! I'm going to be there before them!" She laughed and flew faster.

A soft 'zap' was heard again when Sierra appeared in a view room. She swayed a bit as she felt suddenly the solid floor under her feet. She looked at the large window and after opening its shutter with her brand new Sonic Light(like she had started to call it), looked out to see the Earth..

"Whoa! I did it! I got the coordinates right. And it was even fun!" She rejoiced as she admired the Earth and heard the TARDIS materializing.

* * *

With a pinging noise, the TARDIS stopped. Rose got up after the rough ride.

"Where are we?" She asked. The Doctor just gestured towards the doors. Rose smiled excitedly but suddenly her smile faltered.

"What now?"

"I was just thinking about Sierra. She was crying. Funny, I barely even know her but I feel it was wrong to leave her like that."

"Everything and everyone have their time and place and her time wasn't just yet. Now, would you take a look outside?"

"What's out there?"

The Doctor merely gestured the doors again. Rose stepped out and found herself in some kind of room with wooden walls and a large window opened. The Doctor followed her.

"Oh, someone's already there." He quipped. They walked at the top of short stairs and looked down on the Earth. They couldn't see the face of the person leaning against the window as the sunlight was so bright and she was so close to the glass.

"You lot. You spend all your time thinking about dying. Like you're going to get killed by eggs or beef or global warming or asteroids. But you never take time to imagine the impossible. Maybe you survive. This is the year 5 point 5 slash apple slash 26 **(5.5/A/26)**.Five billion years in your future. This is the day... Hold on..." The Doctor spared a glance on his watch. "This is the day the sun expands. Welcome to the end of the world."

Rose was listening but at the same time she wasn't. Her attention was now on the figure by the window. There was something familiar on her…

* * *

Sierra just stared the Earth and the Sun behind it. It was a view she just couldn't get enough of. But finally she tore her gaze away and took a step backwards.

"Sierra?" She heard behind her.

"Ah…" Was the only thing that came out of her mouth before…

"Oh my god, it's really you!" Rose ran down the stairs to hug her. Sierra got startled a bit but returned the hug then, squeezing the blonde tightly.

"Hi… Sorry for running off like that." She said weakly and noticed the Doctor's suspicious frown.

"How did you get here?" He asked. Rose let go of Sierra after hearing the suspicion in his voice and repeated his question.

"Yeah, how did you get here?"

"My watch just went on rampage." Sierra shrugged and stuffed her hands into her pockets… again. It was becoming a habit for her by this rate. "I dunno how. Where are we by the way?"

* * *

"_Shuttles 5 and 6 now docking. Guests are reminded that platform 1 forbids the use of weapons, teleportation and religion. Earth Death is scheduled for 15:39, followed by drinks in the Manchester Suite."_ A mechanic voice was telling as the three of them walked down a corridor.

"So, when it says 'guests' does that mean people?" Rose asked.

"Depends what you mean by people." The Doctor replied.

"I mean people. What do you mean?" Rose gave a glance to Sierra too.

"I mean beings capable of feelings and empathy. Beings able to move and communicate. I guess." The brunette shrugged. "I'm not sure. Everything is still kinda new to me. He in the other hand…" She nodded her head towards the Doctor who said only one word.

"Aliens."

"What are they doing on board this spaceship? What's it all for?" Rose continued her questions while Sierra stayed quiet. She preferred listening and observing their interactions.

The Doctor started to open a door with his sonic screwdriver while answering. "It's not really a spaceship. More like an observation deck. The great and the good are gathering to watch the planet burn."

"What for?"

"Fun." He stated as the door opened and they entered into a large observation gallery. "Mind you, when I said the great and the good, what I mean is, the rich."

"Great. The rich people and their joys. Watching a planet get roasted. I would understand if it was for respect to watch a planet to die but for fun… Sickos…" Sierra shook her head sadly.

"But, hold on, they did this once on 'Newsround Extra' - the sun expanding - that takes hundreds of years."

"Millions. But the planet's now property of the National Trust. They've been keeping it preserved. See down there?" The Doctor pointed out of the window. "Gravity satellite. That's holding back the sun."

"The planet looks the same as ever. I thought the continents shifted and things." Rose frowned.

"They did. And the trust shifted them back. That's a classic Earth. But now the money's run out, nature takes over!"

"The classic Earth… Good advertise." Sierra snorted, thinking about the Slitheen who were about to _sell_ the Earth in a year.

"How long has it got?"

The Doctor looked at his watch. "About half an hour. And the planet gets roasted."

"Is that why we're here? I mean, is that what you do? Jump in at the last minute and save the Earth?"

"I'm not saving it. Time's up." The Doctor quipped. "Like I said before, everything and everyone have their time and place. The Earth's time has run out and now it's her time to go."

"But what about the people?"

"It's empty! They're all gone. All left."

"Yeah, the human race is bound to research the space technology more and find new areas from the space. Fly away and find a new place to live. Find several new places to live." Sierra smiled. "People are so curious, right?"

Rose looked back to the window, realization dawning to her.

"Just me and Sierra then."

"Actually just you…" Sierra whispered sadly. She didn't notice that Rose and the Doctor both heard it. Rose just turned around to face Sierra who was looking to whole other direction. The Doctor arched his eye brows and was about to say something when a blue alien, a steward, hurried to them.

"Who the hell are you?" The steward demanded.

"Oh! That's nice, thanks."

"But how did you get in? This is a maximum hospitality zone. The guests have disembarked! They're on their way any second now!"

"That's me, I'm a guest, look! I've got an invitation!" The Doctor flashed the psychic paper to the steward. "Look, there you see? It's fine, see? The Doctor plus two. I'm the Doctor, these are Rose Tyler and her friend Sierra Adler. They are my plus two. That all right?

"Well... obviously. Apologies, et cetera. If you're on-board, we'd better start. Enjoy." After the steward walked away, the Doctor showed Rose psychic paper that was completely blank. Sierra on the other hand shrugged off her back pack and took one of her notebooks. She ripped several sheets of light blue paper and started to fold them one by one. Meanwhile the Doctor explained Rose about the paper but Rose wasn't listening anymore.

"The paper's slightly psychic. Shows them whatever I want them to see. Saves a lot of time."

"He's blue."

"Yes, he was." Sierra said from the floor where she was sitting.

"Okay... What are you doing?" Rose looked down and crouched a bit. Sierra showed her several neatly folded paper cranes.

"Origamis."

"Okay, but why?"

"You'll see."

The steward spoke through a microphone at the other end of the viewing gallery.

"We have in attendance, the Doctor, Rose Tyler and Sierra Adler. Thank you! All staff to their positions." He clapped his hands and a lot of little blue aliens started hurrying around. "Hurry now! Thank you, as quick as we can! Come along, come along! And now, might I introduce the next honoured guest, representing the forest of Cheem, we have Trees. Namely, Jabe, Lute and Coffa."

Three tree-like aliens entered. Sierra hurried on her feet and eyed them. She was definitely going to save Jabe.

"There will be an exchange of gifts representing peace. If you can keep the room circulating, thank-you. Next, from the solicitors Jolco and Jolco, the Moxx of Balhoon." The steward continued and more guests entered. The Doctor was smiling cheerily, as Rose was bewildered. Sierra was also smiling a bit. There was just one minus side on her situation. She didn't understand a word about what the steward was saying. She had to act and behave based on her memory only.

"And next, from Financial Family Seven, we have the Adherents of the Repeated Meme."

The Doctor chuckled at the look on Rose's face.

"The inventors of hyposlip travel systems, the brothers Hop Pyleen. Thank you! … Cal 'Spark Plug'. … Mr. and Mrs Pakoo. … The Ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light…"

Jabe approached the Doctor. Either side of her, her companions were holding small plant trays with little shoots in them.

"The Gift of Peace." Jabe said, took one cutting and handed it to the Doctor. "I bring you a cutting of my Grandfather."

"Thank you!" He said politely and gave the tray to Rose. "Yes, gifts... erm..."

"Here." Sierra gave the Doctor first of her cranes. "Traditional art of paper folding from Japan, Earth. The cranes are the symbol of long age and the blue represents peace and serenity."

"Yes, thank you." The Doctor took the crane and noting that Jabe hadn't understood a word what the girl had said, he repeated it to her.

"How considerate." The tree woman smiled and took the crane. She also gave a smile to Sierra who blushed a bit but managed to smile back.

"Sponsor of the main event, please welcome the Face of Boe." The steward announced. Sierra spun around to see the doors. Right in time to see a huge head in an equally huge jar being wheeled through the doors. She smiled sadly. Poor Jack…

The Moxx of Balhoon was now approaching them.

"The Moxx of Balhoon." The Doctor greeted him.

"My felicitations on this historical happenstance. I give you the gift of bodily saliva." The Moxx of Balhoon said and spat directly into Rose's left eye.

"Thank you very much." The Doctor laughed while Rose was rubbing the spit out of her eye. The next ones to approach them were the Adherents of the Repeated Meme.

"Ah! The Adherents of the Repeated Meme. I'll give you a wish of good health and long life." The Doctor gave them the third crane.

"A gift of peace in all good faith." An Adherent said dully and held out a large silver ball which the Doctor took and tossed in the air before catching and handing it to Rose.

"And last but not least, our very special guest. Ladies and Gentlemen, and Trees and Multiforms. Consider the Earth below. In memory of this dying world, we call forth The Last Human." The steward announced proudly and with the same note in his voice than some had when one was introducing royalties. Sierra snorted.

"As if…"

The doors opened and a trampoline like thing was wheeled in.

"The Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen."

"Oh, now, don't stare. I know, I know it's shocking, isn't it? I've had my chin completely taken away and look at the difference! Look how thin I am." Cassandra chirped with a flattered voice.

Sierra had troubles to hold back her laughter. The Doctor in the other hand didn't have such restrains as he laughed silently but heartily. They both turned to look at Rose and her shocked face.

"Thin and dainty! I don't look a day over two thousand. Moisturize me, moisturize me." Cassandra continued in silence. "Truly, I am The Last Human."

Rose sneaked closer to get a better look.

"My father was a Texan. My mother was from the Arctic Desert. They were born on the Earth and were the last to be buried in the soil."

Rose peeked behind Cassandra. She was completely flat.

"I have come to honour them and… say goodbye. Oh, no tears. No tears. I'm sorry. But behold! I bring gifts. From Earth itself - the last remaining ostrich egg. Legend says it had a wingspan of 50 feet and blew fire from its nostrils. Or was that my third husband?"

"Honestly… wingspan of 50 feet and fire from nostrils?" Sierra huffed loudly as now she had no problems to understand Cassandra. Unfortunately. "That's a dragon. A mythic creature, a sort of lizard that doesn't exist. Ostrich is a big bird with fast legs, long neck and no ability to fly."

"And what do you know about it little girl?" Cassandra looked quite miffed that someone dared to interrupt her.

"I've seen one and their eggs are – were – bigger than that. You could have a better guess with penguins or albatrosses."

Rose looked mildly confused at the exchange.

"Well, who knows! Oh don't laugh. I'll get laughter lines!" Cassandra laughed, deciding to ignore Sierra. Behind her, a large jukebox was wheeled into the room. "And here, another rarity. According to the archives, this was called an iPod. It stores classical music from humanity's greatest composers. Play on!"

One of the staff pressed a button and a record fell into place. The 'iPod' started playing Tainted Love by Soft Cell. Sierra sighed.

"IPod? That? Oh, give me a break… From what millennia is she from?"

"Refreshments will now be served. Earth Death in 30 minutes." The steward announced. Sierra saw from the corner of her eye how Rose was rushing out from the gallery. Remembering Rafallo and her fate, Sierra decided to follow the blonde.

* * *

Rose was walking in another part of the ship and looked out of a window at the sun. She jumped slightly when one of the staff came into the room, this one a female.

"Sorry, am I allowed to be in here?" The blonde asked carefully.

The staff member looked around uneasily and finally said quietly: "You have to give us permission to talk."

"Uh... you... have permission...?" Rose said uncertainly. The blue-skinned alien girl's face brightened immediately.

"Thank you! And, no. You're not in the way. Guests are allowed anywhere."

"'Kay…"

The alien girl went to a panel in the wall and entered a code. Rose observed her doings closely.

"What's your name?"

"Raffalo." Came the reply.

"Raffalo?"

"Yes, Miss. I won't be long, I've just got to carry out some maintenance." Rafallo kneeled down in front of an air vent. "There's a tiny little glitch in the Face of Bo suite. There must be something blocking the system - he's not getting any hot water."

"So, you're a plumber?"

"That's right, Miss."

"They still have plumbers?" Rose wondered aloud, mostly to herself but Rafallo chirped in anyways.

"I hope so! Else I'm out of a job!"

Rose laughed. "Where are you from?"

"Crespallion."

"That's a planet, is it?" The blonde asked a bit uncertainly.

"No, Crespallion's part of the Jaggit Brocade, affiliated to the Scarlet Junction, Convex 56. And where are you from, Miss? If you don't mind me asking."

"No! Not at all. Erm... I dunno, a long way away... I just sort of, hitched a lift with this man. (only just realising the risk she's taken herself) I didn't even think about it... I don't even know who he is... he's a complete stranger... Anyway, don't let me keep you. Good luck with it!" Rose began to walk away as Sierra burst in.

"Sierra? What now? Is something wrong?" She asked the other girl who – Rose suddenly noted – was much taller than her.

"Ah, no, nothing is wrong. I just… was looking around. Could you say to her…" Sierra nodded towards Rafallo. "…that I'd like to watch what she is doing."

"Why don't you say it yourself?"

"I don't really… I'm not able to communicate with aliens at the moment." Sierra stared at their feet embarrassedly.

"And I am?"

"More than I."

"Okay…" Rose turned towards Rafallo who found the conversation interesting as she understood Rose but not this new girl. In her mind young plumber found it a bit weird though that they obviously spoke two different languages but still understood each other completely. Rose was smiling to her now though...

"My friend Sierra would like to watch as you work. She doesn't mind even if you talk to her she just can't answer to you." The blonde explained.

"It's alright, Miss. And thank you, Miss. Thank you for the permission. Not many people are that considerate." Raffalo bowed a bit.

"'Kay. See you later." Rose smiled and left. Sierra walked closer and kneeled beside Raffalo. The plumber girl took the cover of the air vent off and peered in. Sierra just followed her silently.

"Now then." Raffalo grabbed a small microphone attached to her collar and spoke to it. "Control - I'm at Junction 19 and I think the problem's coming from in here. I'll go inside and have a look."

Small tapping sound was heard suddenly. The expression on Sierra's face suddenly shifted from curious to worried.

"What's that? Is there something in there?" Raffalo called into the shaft. They both could now see a small metallic spider appearing to the end of the air shaft.

"Oh! Who are you, then? … Hold on! I... if you're an upgrade I just need to register you, that's all. Oh, come back!" Raffalo climbed into the shaft. Sierra grabbed her ankles carefully, ready to pull her out.

"What are you doing Miss?" Raffalo asked but turned her attention then back to the spider that had come back now. "Ah, there you are. Now, I just need to register your ident… Oh, there's two of you! Got yourself a little mate! I think I'd better report this to control. How many of you are there? What are you? Oh, no…"

The spiders approached Raffalo quickly and, from the rapid tapping sound their feet made, Sierra knew she had to act now. She pulled hard and got the blue alien girl out in time. As soon as Raffalo was completely out, Sierra took the cover on the floor and pushed it on its place before the spiders got out. The tapping rapped the cover for a while but then the sound died down. The spiders were gone.

Raffalo was shaking on the floor. She just stared to air vent and its cover with wide eyes. Sierra helped the girl on her feet carefully and brushed her uniform down.

"You okay?" Sierra asked from habit. She knew Raffalo didn't understand her but probably would guess the question anyways. The blue alien nodded. Sierra smiled to her and pointed then the microphone on the plumber's collar. Raffalo stared at it for a minute but understood then.

"Ah, yes, a report… Control – I'm still at Junction 19. I'm unable to work with the problem. There's some creature in the vents causing problems but they are also ready harm anyone…" Raffalo looked up briefly to see that Sierra was gone now.

* * *

"_Earth Death in 25 minutes. Earth Death in 25 minutes."_

Rose was sitting by the steps, throwing the metallic ball up in the air and catching it again as the announcement was made.

"Oh, thanks." She mumbled sarcastically and placed the ball next to her. She picked up the cutting of Jabe's grandfather. "Hello! My name's Rose. That's a sort of plant. We might be related… I'm talking to a twig."

"Well, observed." A voice said behind her. Rose jumped a bit.

"Sierra! What's with you and making sudden entrances?"

"Nothing. I just have stealthy steps. Quita." The brunette shrugged and sat on the stairs. From the corner of her eye she was able to see how a spider broke out of the ball and scanned Rose's hand. But as soon as they heard the Doctor's voice, it hurried to an air shaft.

"Rose? Sierra? Are you in there?" He appeared to the room. "Aye aye! What do you think, then?" He asked them – mostly Rose though – and sat on the other side of the stairs.

"Great! Yeah... fine. Once you get past the slightly psychic paper." The Doctor and Sierra both laughed. "They're just, so alien. The aliens. Are so alien. You look at 'em... and they're alien."

"You mean that aside from just being from somewhere in space, they also look so different than humans?" Sierra clarified. "Isn't it just expected?"

"Well, yeah, but…"

"Good thing I didn't take you to the Deep South."

Rose was now looking at the Doctor like she had seen him properly for the first time. "Where are you from?"

"All over the place."

"They all speak English." At that argument Sierra just shook her head.

"No - you just hear English. It's a gift of the TARDIS. Telepathic field, gets inside your brain - translates."

"It's inside my brain?"

"Well, in a good way."

"Your machine gets inside my head. It gets inside and it changes my mind, and you didn't even ask?" Rose asked angrily. Sierra sighed.

"Just be thankful for it! I don't understand a word of what they are talking!" She snapped to the blonde who was too busy glaring the Doctor.

"I didn't think about it like that." He mumbled.

"No! You were too busy thinking up cheap shots about the Deep South! Who are you then, Doctor? What are you called? What sort of alien are you?" Rose continued.

"I'm just The Doctor."

"From what planet?"

"Well, it's not as if you'll know where it is!"

"Where are you from?"

"What does it matter?"

"Tell me who you are!" Sierra wanted to flee from the room now. Rose had pressed too far and it was seen on the Doctor's face. He was angry. Really angry. Even though he tried to control it.

"This is who I am, right here, right now, alright? All that counts is here and now, and this is me!"

"Yeah, and I'm here too because you brought me here, so just tell me!"

"Rose, just shut up." Sierra moaned.

"No. I have the right to know."

"I told you to shut up!" Sierra barely even noticed that she had gotten on her feet. "You are not in the position to say what you have and what you don't have right to know. Especially when you have no idea about the circumstances around the matter." She strode up the stairs and exited the room. The Doctor watched after her but walked then down the steps away from Rose. Did this Sierra girl know what he had done during the Time War?

"_Earth Death in 20 minutes. Earth Death in 20 minutes."_

After a few moments, Rose got up too and followed the Doctor down the window.

"Alright... as my mate Shareen says... don't argue with the designated driver."

* * *

Sierra was stalking through the corridors angrily as the whole ship suddenly shook. She fell flat on her face.

"Whoa… What? Oh, yeah. How could I forget…?"

"_Honoured guests may be reassured that gravity pockets may cause slight turbulence, thanking you."_ She heard the steward's voice from the loudspeaker.

"Gravity pockets my ass…" She mumbled and got up. She needed to find the engine room. And she did. Surprisingly fast actually. She took her Sonic Light from her pocket and started to scan the reading from a small control panel. The small screen in the Light made the readings even understandable to her.

"Let's dig a bit deeper…" Numbers swirled on the panel when she suddenly heard voices coming towards her. The Doctor and Jabe.

"So, tell me, Jabe. What's a tree like you doing in a place like this?" The Doctor was asking the tree woman.

"Respect for the Earth." She replied shortly.

"Oh, come on. Everyone on this platform's worth zillions."

"Well... perhaps it's a case of having to be seen at the right occasions."

"In case your share prices drop? I know you lot. You've got massive forests everywhere, roots everywhere, and there's always money in land."

"All the same. You respect the Earth as family. So many species evolved from that planet. Mankind is only one. I'm another. My ancestors were transplanted from the planet down below. And I'm a direct descendant of the tropical rainforest." Jabe announced and managed to make the Doctor impressed about the sudden information. But soon he spotted the control panel and Sierra by it. Sierra also had spotted him and slid her Sonic Light back into her pocket. It wasn't ready to be seen yet…

"Excuse me."

"Go ahead." Sierra stepped aside and the Doctor started to poke the panel with his Sonic Screwdriver.

"And what about your ancestry, Doctor?" Jabe continued the conversation. "Perhaps you could tell a story or two... perhaps a man only enjoys trouble when there's nothing else left... I scanned you earlier. The metal machine had trouble identifying your species - refused to admit your existence. And even when it named you, I wouldn't believe it. But it was right."

The Doctor stopped scanning, a deep sadness visible in his eyes. Jabe's tone became hushed, awed.

"I know where you're from. Forgive me for intruding, but it's remarkable that you even exist. I just want to say... how sorry I am." The tree woman placed her hand on his arm comfortingly. The Doctor's eyes were now filled with tears. He placed his hand over hers, and let a tear fall down his cheek. Sierra felt slightly out of place. She had never seen the Doctor this emotional. At least not this Doctor. Tenth Doctor yes, but not Ninth. And yes, she had seen this scene in tv but it was already a long time ago and back then she wasn't as captured by the emotion.

* * *

The two headed through the next doors to the ventilation chamber but Sierra ran back to where she had come from. Or at least tried to. Instead of the room where the TARDIS and she had landed, she found herself from the viewing gallery among the other guests. The jukebox was booming. She stalked angrily to it and kicked it over. The music died down.

"How can you listen to this shit?" She almost shouted. She was on a bad mood now. And at the moment she could only wait for Doctor to come there from saving Rose's life.

* * *

"_Earth Death in 5 minutes."_

Finally the Doctor and Jabe entered to the viewing gallery. Jabe was taking a look on readings on the spider.

"The metal machine confirms. The spider devices have infiltrated the whole of platform one."

"How's that possible? Our private rooms are protected by a code wall. Moisturize me, moisturize me." Cassandra fussed. Sierra felt like ripping the 'last human' in two. At least that was what the Doctor read on her face. He just took the destabilized spider out of Jabe's hand.

"Summon the Steward!" The Moxx of Balhoon demanded.

"I'm afraid the Steward is dead." Jabe sighed. The guests gasped in shock.

"Who killed him?"

"This whole event was sponsored by the Face of Boe! He invited us!" Cassandra shrieked but the Face of Boe shook his head. "Talk to the face! Talk to the face!"

"Oi, shut up, will you?" Sierra finally snapped and, surprisingly yes, Cassandra shut her mouth. Sierra glared at her and walked to the Face of Boe's glasstank. Folding her arms on her chest and crossing her legs, she sat down. No one dared to say anything to her. The Doctor cleared his throat.

"Easy way of finding out. Someone bought a little pet on board. Let's send him back to Master." He placed the spider on the floor. The spider walked to Cassandra and looked up at her. Cassandra seemed shifty for a moment, but the spider moved then to the feet of the Adherents of the Repeated Meme.

"The Adherents of the Repeated Meme. J'accuse!" She said loudly. Sierra was about to snap at her again but the Doctor got ahead of her.

"That's all very well, and really kind of obvious, but if you stop and think about it…" One of the Adherents tried to strike him, but he just caught its arm and ripped it off. "A Repeated Meme is just an idea. And that's all they are. An idea." He ripped a wire out of the arm and all of the Adherents crumpled into a bundle of black cloaks. All of the guests gasped expect Sierra and the Face of Boe. Cassandra merely rolled her eyes.

"Remote controlled droids. Nice little cover for the real troublemaker. Go on, Jimbo! Go home!" The spider scuttled back to Cassandra.

"I bet you were the school swot and never got kissed." She accused the Doctor.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows along with Sierra.

"Really? That's the worst insult you can come up with?" The girl asked a bit amusedly.

"At arms!" Cassandra's bodyguards with the moisturizing canisters raise them.

"What are you going to do, moisturize me?" The Doctor mocked.

"With acid. Oh, too late anyway. My spiders have control of the mainframe. Oh, you all carried them as gifts, tax free, past every code wall. I'm not just as pretty face."

"Someone must be pretty blind to call _you_ pretty." Sierra mumbled.

"Sabotaging a ship while you're still inside it? How stupid's that?" The Doctor asked incredously.

"I'd hoped to manufacture a hostage situation with myself as one of the victims. The compensation would have been enormous." The flat skin answered snobbily.

"Five billion years and it still comes down to money."

"Do you think it's cheap, looking like this? Flatness costs a fortune. I am The Last Human, Doctor. Me. Not that freaky little kid of yours."

"Arrest her!" The Moxx of Balhoon ordered.

"Oh, shut it, pixie. I've still got my final option."

"_Earth Death in 3 minutes."_

"And here it comes. You're just as useful dead, all of you. I have shares in your rival companies and they'll triple in price as soon as you're dead. My spiders are primed and ready to destroy the safety systems. How did that old Earth song go? Burn, baby, burn."

"Then you'll burn with us." Jabe stated.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I know the use of teleportation is strictly forbidden, but... I'm such a naughty thing. Spiders - activate."

A series of explosions were heard all around the ship.

"Force fields gone with the planet about to explode. At least it'll be quick. Just like my fifth husband. Oh, shame on me. Buh-bye, darlings! Buh-bye, my darlings." Cassandra, with her bodyguards, teleported out.

"_Heat levels rising."_

"Reset the computer!" The Moxx of Balhoon ordered again. There was another one Sierra wanted to snap to but she knew he wouldn't understand her.

"Only the Steward would know how." Jabe sighed.

"No. We can do it by hand. There must be a system restore switch. Jabe, Sierra, come on." The Doctor hurried out of the room. Sierra scrambled on her feet and followed him and the tree woman. She'd definitely save her too. As she approached then the Doctor suddenly called back the crowd over his shoulder.

"You lot - just chill!"

* * *

"_Earth Death in 2 minutes. Earth Death in 2 minutes."_

The three of them ran into the ventilation chamber. It was already enormously hot there.

"_Heat levels - critical. Heat levels - critical."_

"Oh. And guess where the switch is." The Doctor sighed as they stopped at the other side, at the wrong side of the three giant fans. The switch was behind them.

"_Heat levels - rising. Heat levels - rising."_

The Doctor pulled a lever down and the fans slowed down.

"_External temperature - 5 thousand degrees."_

But the lever didn't stay down on its own and when the Doctor let go of the lever, the fans sped up again. He looked around hopelessly, trying to find a way to get past the fans somehow. Suddenly Jabe pulled the lever down again and held it there.

"You can't. The heat's going to vent through this place." The Doctor protested.

"Doctor, let me…" Sierra tried. As Jabe didn't understand her, she answered to the Time Lord.

"I know."

"Jabe, you're made of wood."

"Then stop wasting time. Time Lord."

"No!" Sierra shouted and made them both look at her. "I'll do it." She pushed Jabe aside as gently as she could and grabbed the lever. "Go! We don't have enough time!"

The Doctor took Jabe's hand and they ran to the first fan.

"_Heat levels - rising. Heat levels – rising… Heat levels - hazardous."_

The glass all over the ship was cracking. The two ran under the first fan. At the second one they hesitate.

"_Shields malfunctioning. Shields malfunctioning."_

They were still standing before the second fan. The Doctor looked at Jabe who was sweating now and looked at Sierra then. She was obviously in pain. The girl caught his gaze.

"Just hurry!"

"_Heat levels - critical. Heat levels – critical."_

Jabe fell on her knees and let go of the Doctor's hand. He dodged under the second fan.

"_Heat levels - rising. Heat levels - rising."_

As the Doctor stood before the third fan, he heard Sierra gasping.

"Aaah!" She let go of the lever and collapsed on the floor. The fans started to speed up. She sat up soon. "I'm alright! Sorry about that. I'll take it now properly." She was about to grab the lever again but cried out in pain. She bended in two on the floor, her burnt hands against her stomach. "I'm sorry, I…" She squuzed her eyes shut to keep her tears away.

The Doctor looked back and nodded. He turned back to the last fan. It was barely seen anymore.

"_Planet explodes in 10… 9…"_

Sierra got on her feet with a great effort and looked at her hands. They were blistering and shiny. Only a few seconds. She could do it. She had to. She… had to…

"_8… 7… 6… 5… 4…"_

Sierra collapsed on the lever. Pushing it down with her body weight. "Go! Hurry!" She screamed. The fans hadn't slowed down enough yet. The Doctor closed his eyes and… stepped through the last fan. He opened his eyes and dashed to the switch.

"Raise shields!"

"…_1… Exoglass repair. Exoglass repair."_

The glass was being repaired. The Doctor walked back through the fans and helped Jabe on her feet. The tree woman was nauseous and sweaty but otherwise fine. They come to Sierra who's sitting on the floor and leaning against the lever. She had her hands clenched into fists and hiding them from the view.

"I'm fine…" She mumbled.

* * *

The Doctor walked in the viewing gallery. Rose was already there. Jabe ran straight to her companions and hugged them tightly. Sierra stepped into the room too but stayed by the wall, near the Face of Boe. She could see and hear everything very well from her place.

"You all right?" Rose asked the Doctor as he walked to her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm full of ideas, I'm bristling with them. Idea number one - teleportation through five thousand degrees needs some kind of feed. Idea number two - this feed must be hidden nearby." He strode right over to the ostrich egg and broke it. The teleportation feed fell out. He picked it up. "Idea number three - if you're as clever as me, then a teleportation feed can be reversed."

The Doctor twisted the device and Cassandra appeared in front of them, in the middle of gloating.

"Ah, you should have seen their little alien faces." She was saying but noticed then where she was. "Oh."

"The Last Human." The Doctor stated.

"So. You passed my little test. Bravo. This makes you eligible to join the… er... the human club."

"People have died, Cassandra. You murdered them."

"That depends on your definition of 'people'. And that's enough of a technicality to keep your lawyers dizzy for centuries. Take me to court then, Doctor! And watch me smile, and cry, and flutter..."

"And creak?"

"And what?" Cassandra frowned, confused.

"Creak. You're creaking."

"What? Ah! Ah! I'm drying out! Oh, sweet heavens! Moisturize me! Moisturize me! Where are my surgeons? My lovely boys! It's too hot!" Cassandra panicked as her appearance turned less and less attractive.

"You raised the temperature." The Doctor pointed out calmly.

"Have pity! Moisturize me! Oh, Doctor!"

Rose grabbed the Doctor's arm. "Help her." He just shook his head.

"Everything has its time and everything dies."

"I'm... too... young!" Cassandra exploded.

* * *

"_Shuttles 4 and 6 departing. This unit now closing down for maintenance."_

Rose was standing at the window and watching the Earth burn. She had sad look on her face. Sierra was sitting on the stairs behind her while the Doctor stood on the doorway, oblivious of Rose's melancholy. Sierra got up and walked next to Rose and leaned against the window.

"If I had hit her… would she have been like a trampoline…" Sierra mused and stuffed her hands into her pockets but flinched and took them out. The Doctor walked to her.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine. I just…" Sierra took a shuddering breath while biting back her tears. "I'm fine…" She repeated and wiped her eyes on her jacket sleeve, her hands still in fists. The Doctor took her hand into his own and forced her fingers open carefully.

"This looks bad."

"It hurts…" Sierra whimpered. Suddenly Rose hugged her and caught her completely off guard. Rocks flew past the window. Rose kept her eyes fixed on them and talked quietly, tears heard in her voice.

"The end of the Earth. It's gone. And we were too busy saving ourselves, no one saw it go. All those years... all that history and no one was even looking. It's just..." She buried her face on Sierra's shoulder. The brunette wrapped her arms carefully around the blonde and hugged back.

"Yeah… This Earth is gone. Yet – looking at it from our timeline – it has many years ahead." They let go of each other. The Doctor held his hand out to Rose.

"Come with me."

The two of them were at the door when the Doctor turned around so look at Sierra who was looking out of the window. He watched her lonely figure in the orange light, watching the planet beneath to burn. Something in that sight reminded him about something he couldn't quite figure out. And that something made him feel incredibly sad. She just stood there. Alone. Just like she had done when he and Rose had arrived. He made his decision.

"Aren't you coming?" The Time Lord asked. Sierra looked over her shoulder.

"Huh?"

"Aren't you coming?" He repeated.

"Aboard to the TARDIS?" She asked like she didn't dare to wish it to be true.

"Well, yeah. There is space. A lot of it. And you are more than welcome." He smiled at her astonished face.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Thank you." She ran to them and hugged the Doctor. "Thank you so much! I'm glad to come."

* * *

They were back in 2005 now and Rose stepped out of the TARDIS. She looked around herself, like seeing everything around her for the first time. The Doctor and Sierra stood beside her, Sierra's burnt hands carefully bandaged.

"You think it'll last forever. People, and cars and concrete. But it won't. One day, it's all gone. Even the sky." The all turned to watch the sky until the Doctor continued. "My planet's gone."

Rose looked at him; Sierra kept her eyes in the sky.

"It's dead. It burned like the Earth. It's just rocks and dust. Before its time."

"What happened?" The blonde asked curiously yet carefully.

"There was a war. And we lost."

"A war with who?"

Sierra wanted to say: 'with crazy pepper pots' but understood this wasn't the right situation. The Doctor also stayed quiet, most likely lost in thought.

"What about your people?" Rose continued.

"I'm a Time Lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. They're all gone. I'm the only survivor. I'm left travelling on my own because there's no one else."

"There's me." Rose smiled.

"And me." Sierra added. Her smile didn't reach her eyes though. She was – in a way – alone too. She was a human but not from this Earth. This Earth felt different, it wasn't home. She was the only one. She was in the middle of people like her yet she was completely alone.

"You've seen how dangerous it is. Do you want to go home?" The Doctor interrupted Sierra's train of thought. Rose looked at the Time Lord for a few seconds before answering.

"I don't know. I want..." She sniffed the air. "Oh! Can you smell chips?"

"Yeah. Yeah!"

"A bit."

"I want chips." The blonde stated.

"Me too."

"Chips would be nice." Sierra mumbled.

"Right then, before we get back in that box, chips it is, and you can pay."

"No money."

"What sort of date are you? Come on then, tightwad, chips are on me." Rose linked her arm with the Doctor and took Sierra on the other side of her. The Doctor smiled. Sierra tried too and managed to look a bit happier. "We've only got five billion years before the shops close."

They laughed, even Sierra. She wasn't completely alone. She had people to rely on.

"_Do not tell who you are…"_ Of course she wouldn't do it but the question was how long she could go on like that.

* * *

**A/N: Sierra was a bit snappy. I know I would be. And no, Sierra doesn't have a god-complex or a hero-complex. She just wants to avoid unnecessary deaths. And yes, Sierra does have emotions. A lot. She just tries to take distance on others. She's not a tough girl. Just normal.**

**And plz review! I hope you liked this one!**


	3. The Unquiet Dead

**A/N: Hiya! I'm still here! And here is the next chapter. Don't kill me after reading it. I'll give you some sort of explanation after reading this.**

* * *

**3. The Unquiet dead**

The TARDIS was shaking and whirling uncontrollably in the Time Vortex. Sierra was gripping the railing her knuckles white while the Doctor and Rose were trying to stabilize the time machine. Her backpack was sliding across the floor, looking like a silky and simple shoulder bag now. After finding out a small button inside it, Sierra had manipulated the backpack's appearance to fit better to their destination.

"My older self forgot to mention about the chameleon circuit…" She thought when the backpack slid against her feet. "Although… discovering myself is much funnier." She picked it up as the time machine lurched.

"Hold that one down!" The Doctor pointed a lever.

"I'm holding _this_ one down!" Rose answered a top of another lever.

"Well, hold them _both_ down!" Came the reply.

"It's not going to work!" Sierra huffed and let go of the railing. She fell against the console, her previously burnt palms aching. "Ouch… Use the stabilizers! The blue ones!" She shouted over the noise.

"There are no stabilizers!"

"Yes, there are, you just don't use them! And if you'd release the brakes you might get into the right place for a change." Sierra reached for two blue buttons and pulled one lever down. The TARDIS stabilized immediately. "Leaving the brakes on slow you down and cause you to be late. And it exhausts this girl." Sierra tapped the center pillar and the TARDIS hummed in agreement. The Doctor made a face and undid what Sierra had just done. The TARDIS lurched violently and sent the girl on the floor.

"I promised you a time machine and that's what you're getting. And I'm driving it. Now, you've seen the future - let's have a look at the past. 1860. How does 1860 sound?" The last question was directed to Rose.

"What happened in 1860?" The blonde asked curiously. Sierra sat up slowly but got slammed against the floor again as the Doctor set up the new coordinates.

"I don't know, let's find out. Hold on, here we go!"

"Gaah!"

* * *

The TARDIS materialized in the middle of snowfall. The Doctor and Rose are on the floor with Sierra. All of them are laughing.

"That was fun." Sierra stated and sat up. "Ouch my back… You still could've used the stabilizers…"

"How do you know about them?" The Doctor asked and got on his feet.

"Bits and pieces… I gather all kind of useful information." Sierra got up too and helped still laughing Rose on her feet.

"Blimey!" The blonde breathed.

"You're telling me! Are you alright?" The Doctor laughed too. This time the question was to both girls.

"I'm fine." Sierra smirked.

"Yeah. I think so! Nothing broken... did we make it? Where are we?" Rose patted herself down. The Time Lord took a look on the screen.

"I did it! Give the man a medal. Earth - Naples - December 24th, 1860." Sierra glanced her Vortex Manipulator and suppressed an urge to laugh. Naples, indeed…

"That's so weird... it's Christmas." Rose was almost dazed.

"Oh, just wait until you get out…" Sierra laughed. The Doctor was gesturing the door.

"All yours, ladies."

"But, it's like... think about it, though. Christmas. 1860. Happens once. Just once, and it's gone. It's finished. It'll never happen again. Except for you." Rose studied the Doctor. "You can go back and see days that are dead and gone and a hundred thousand sunsets ago... no wonder you never stay still."

"Not a bad life." He merely quipped. Sierra took Rose's arm.

"Just c'mon. Don't be a spoilsport." Oh, the face Rose would make.

"Better with two… err, three." Rose caught the look on Sierra face. A warning yet sad glare that crossed over the brunette's eyes. She put her hand on the other girl's and smiled. "Come on then!"

"Oi, oi, oi! Where do you think you're going?" The Doctor called whent hey were almost at the door.

"1860!" Rose called back.

"Go out there dressed like that, you'll start a riot, Barbarellas! There's a wardrobe through there."

"Just a peek first!" Sierra begged.

"Nope."

"Where's the wardrobe?" The brunette huffed.

"First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, it's the fifth door on your left. Hurry up!" The girls ran off and The Doctor grinned after them.

* * *

After some moments Rose and Sierra were ready. As soon as the Doctor heard them coming back to the console room, turned he around.

"Blimey!" He exclaimed.

"Oh, don't laugh!" Rose giggled at his expression. Sierra was smirking too and adjusting her shoulder bag comfortably. It fit pretty well with her dress.

"That's one way to react." She commented.

"You look beautiful!" The Doctor complimented, his eyes a bit more on Rose than on Sierra. He noticed it soon enough though and added. "You both do."

Rose stopped laughing and smiled instead. After a short silent pause, the Doctor had to look away awkwardly.

"You made him blush." Sierra whispered to Rose.

"Considering." The Doctor turned on the Sonic Screwdriver, he had been using on some repair work earlier. Rose arched her eye brows.

"Considering what?" She questioned.

"That you're human!"

"I _think_ that's a compliment…"

"Think it as one. He's rude and not ginger. That's the best you are going to get." Sierra smirked. Rose ignored her in favor of asking quite an important question from the Doctor.

"Aren't you going to change?"

"I've changed my jumper! Come on!" He jumped out of the space beneath the console's controls.

"You, stay there! You've done this before. This is mine!" Rose hurried past him, Sierra following closely behind. The blonde yanked the door open and looked out to the street from 1860. Carefully she placed her foot on the snow and withdrew it then to see her footprint on the freshly fallen snow. Sierra pushed her playfully forward and Rose had to step out of the TARDIS to regain her balance.

"Sierra…"

"C'mon. Let's go!" The brunette smiled brightly and stepped out too. The Doctor followed them.

"Ready for this?" He asked and offered his arm. Sierra took a step back and pushed Rose towards him. The blonde looked at her in confusion for a second but took the Doctor's arm then, a smile on her face.

"Here we go. History!"

"Yup, history. But are you sure that this is Naples?" Sierra asked. She was walking on their left about a step behind.

"Of course I am!" The Doctor huffed, offended. "Why wouldn't I?"

"'Cause you let the brakes on?"

* * *

They walked down the street and observe everything - Rose in amazement, Sierra in excitement and the Doctor with a grin on his face. Who knew what was going on in his head? Suddenly he walked in another direction making Rose follow and Sierra hurry after them as the change of direction had been so sudden. From the corner of her eye Sierra could see Mr. Sneed and Gwyneth entering the theater.

"God, how much she looks like Gwen… And what kind of name is 'Sneed'?" Sierra thought aloud. Rose glanced to her direction as the Doctor bought a newspaper. He unfolded it and scanned the date and the biggest headlines.

"I got the flight a bit wrong." He frowned.

"No medal then." Sierra grinned.

"I don't care." Rose said firmly.

"It's not 1860, it's 1869."

"I don't care!"

"And it's not Naples."

"I don't care."

"It's Cardiff."

Rose paused. "Right…"

"C'mon. What's wrong with Cardiff? Cardiff is awesome." Sierra protested. After all the Rift was there and Torchwood 3. Well, would be.

A scream was heard from the theater. The Doctor grinned.

"That's more like it!" He tossed the newspaper aside and ran to the direction of the screaming. Rose and Sierra followed only a few steps behind.

* * *

Inside the theater the thing that caught their attention was the gas zooming around. And that gas was coming from an old woman's mouth.

"Fantastic." The Doctor said in a slight, barely noticeable, awe. The last of the gas left the old woman's mouth and she slumped back in the chair she had risen from. It just was a dead body anymore. The Doctor approached Mr. Dickens who had been keeping some sort of speech on the stage.

"Did you see where it came from?" The Doctor asked.

"Ah. The wag reveals himself, does he? I trust you're satisfied, sir!" Mr. Dickens was angry. Or at least very, very confused. The Doctor in the other hand was taken aback by this accusation.

"Oi! Leave her alone!" Rose shouted after Mr. Sneed and Gwyneth who were taking away the old woman's body. "Doctor, I'll get 'em!"

"Me too!" Sierra ran after her and the suspicious duo.

"Be careful!" The Doctor called after them.

* * *

The suspicious duo had successfully loaded the body into the back of a carriage. Rose and Sierra caught up with them.

"What're you doing?"

"Oh, it's such a tragedy, misses. Don't worry yourself, me and the master will deal with it." Gwyneth tried to prevent the two from seeing the dead woman. "The fact is, this poor lady's been taken with the brain fever and we have to get her to the infirmary."

Rose just pushed Gwyneth aside despite her protests and touched the old woman's forehead.

"She's cold... she's dead! My God, what did you do to her?"

"Nothing. She was dead from the beginning but that gas thing made her move around. Am I right?" Sierra placed her hands on her hips and glared Mr. Sneed who was approaching Rose from behind. Sierra's eyes widened. She had forgotten this part! How she could have? Was it because she was now living the event instead of merely observing? "Rose, look out!"

Too late. Mr. Sneed had already pressed a tissue full of some kind of drug, probably chloroform, on Rose's mouth. Sierra reached for her friend but got held back by Gwyneth.

"Gwyneth, let go! You don't need to do this!" She all but screamed. Rose went limp on Mr. Sneed's arms. The man lifted her on the carriage next to the dead woman and took a step towards Sierra.

"No… No!" Sierra struggled but as both of the suspicious duo were holding her still, she hadn't much chances and a darkness filled her vision.

"What did you do that for?" Gwyneth asked in shock. "A-And how did she know my name?"

"They've seen too much. Get her in the hearse!" Gwyneth lifted Sierra carefully on the carriages/hearse. The Doctor was running down the steps of the theatre just as Gwyneth pushed Sierra's head out of sight. She slammed the door shut and climbed on the front next to Mr. Sneed. The Doctor could only assume that Rose was also in the carriages with Sierra as the blonde was nowhere seen.

"Rose! Sierra!"

* * *

Rose was placed on a table which usually held corpses or coffins while Sierra found herself lying on her stomach on the floor. With a groan she pushed her up and turned a bit to sit down. She patted herself from head to toes. Nothing was broken. Not that she'd expected to be. Carefully Sierra got on her feet and walked to the door and tried it. Locked.

"Not that I'd expected it to be open…" She paused and chuckled than for her two almost identical thoughts. Behind her Rose woke up. She seemed slightly spacing still out and didn't notice when the gas from the lamps filled a corpse of a young man. He sat up. Sierra backed up against the door. "Rose…"

Rose turned her head and saw the corpse behind her. She jumped off the table as he started making strange noises.

"Are you all right? You're kidding me, yeah? You're just kidding." The blonde reasoned.

"Rose, he's like that woman earlier. Just a corpse that's moving around." Sierra dug her hand into her bag when the corpse climbed out of the coffin.

"You are, you're kidding me, aren't ya?" Rose backed next to Sierra as the other girl found what she was looking for. The corpse took staggering steps towards them. "Okay, not kidding…"

Now the corpse of the old woman rose from another coffin. Rose gaped at them. Sierra raised her Sonic Light towards the two zombies.

"Stay back." She growled and pressed the button. A light violet light was lit up and the sonic made the zombies to stop. "Rose, the vase!"

Rose took a vase nearby and threw it at the young man. He to stumbled slightly but didn't fall. Sierra directed the Sonic Light now at the old woman who had come a bit too close.

"I can't hold them both. They are too far from each other." She shouted as Rose rattled the handle of the door behind them frantically.

"Let us out! Open the door!" Rose screamed through the door. "Please, let us out!"

Sierra was able to hold the old woman back and occasionally slow down the young man. But still both corpses were walking towards them. The young man was already too close and Rose didn't notice it from her door hammering.

"Let us out! Somebody, open the door! Open the door!"

"Rose, look out!" Too late. Sierra was again too late. The young man clasped his hand over Rose's mouth, muffling her scream. But – thank the Seven Systems – at that moment, the Doctor kicked the door in.

"I think this is _my_ dance." He said dryly and pulled Rose from the dead body's grip. Sierra hurried behind him, hiding her Sonic Light into her back once more. It was bad enough that Rose had seen it. But maybe she hadn't paid much attention to it. One could always hope, right?

"It's a prank? It must be. We're under some mesmeric influence." Another man, who Sierra knew to be Charles Dickens, tried to reason.

"No, we're not. The dead are walking." The Doctor grinned to Rose and Sierra. "Hi!"

"Hi! Who's your friend?" The blonde asked.

"Charles Dickens."

"Oh. Okay. Sierra, you were right. About those two." She nodded her head towards the zombies.

"Well, yeah. It was the only logical yet illogical explanation. The appearance of the carriages. The way that woman collapsed in the theater. The coldness you noticed on her forehead. The coffins in that room. All logical. Yet illogical." Sierra was still catching her breath. She hadn't even realized she had been holding it. The Doctor approached the corpses now.

"My name's the Doctor. Who are you, then? What do you want?" He asked.

"We're failing. Open the rift, we're dying. Trapped in this form - cannot sustain - help us." The young man's corpse said before he and the old woman turned their heads towards the ceiling. The blue gas left them with a wailing sound and both corpses collapsed on the floor.

* * *

They all were sitting in a sitting room. Gwyneth was pouring them all tea with Sierra's help while Rose was having a go at Mr. Sneed.

"First of all you drug me, then you kidnap me, and don't think I didn't feel your hands having a quick wander, you dirty old man." The blonde all but shouted.

"Thank God I fainted on your arms…" Sierra mumbled so only Gwyneth could hear her. The young maid smiled a bit to her and whispered: "You are welcome."

The Doctor sniggered on the background.

"I won't be spoken to like this!" Mr. Sneed shouted, for real. But Rose wasn't done yet.

"Then you stuck me in a room full of zombies! And if that ain't enough - you swan off! And leave me to die! So come on - talk!"

"It's not my fault, it's this house! It always had a reputation. Haunted. But I never had much bother until a few months back. And then the stiffs –" Mr. Sneed was silenced by slightly offended look from Mr. Dickens. "… the err, dear departed started getting restless."

"Tommyrot." Mr. Dickens stated.

"You witnessed it! Can't keep the beggars down, sir! They walk. And it's the queerest thing that they hang on to scraps..."

Gwyneth gave the Doctor his tea and Sierra handed a cup for Rose. She sat on the armrest of the chair the blonde was occupying, a cup of tea in her own hands too.

"Two sugars, sir, just how you like it." The young maid said the Doctor who could only stare her retreating back curiously. Sierra didn't snigger this time. She had learnt some self-control by now. Not much but a bit and now wasn't the right time to laugh. Gwyneth was another one Sierra wanted to save but she had no idea how or was it even possible in the first place.

* * *

During the few seconds Sierra was spacing out, the conversation around her had gone forward. She tuned in just in time to hear the Doctor explaining about the Rift.

"Means it's getting stronger, the rift's getting wider and something's sneaking through."

"What's the rift?" Rose asked.

"A weak point in time and space. The connection between this place and another. That's the cause of ghost stories, most of the time."

* * *

Gwyneth was lighting another gas lamp in the kitchen when Rose came in with Sierra. The blonde started washing up the dishes while Sierra dried them.

"Please, Misses! You shouldn't be helping! It's not right!" Gwyneth protested.

"Don't be daft. Sneed works you to death. How much do you get paid?" Rose almost laughed with Sierra nodding next to her.

"Eight pound a year, miss."

"That much?"

"In this time it's much." Sierra murmured.

"I know. I would've been happy with six."

Rose was just dumbfounded. "So, did you go to school or what?"

"Of course I did. What do you think I am? An urchin? I went every Sunday. Nice and proper."

"What - once a week?"

"We did sums and everything. To be honest, I hated every second."

"Me too."

"I liked school. All my friends were there too. It was stable. Didn't need to think about working that much…" Sierra mused. Next to her Rose and Gwyneth laughed happily and through their tears of laughter Gwyneth told them: "Don't tell anyone, but one week, I didn't go and ran on the heath all on my own!"

"I did plenty of that. I used to go down the shops with my mate Shareen. And we used to go and look at boys!" Rose told her. Sierra shook her head amusedly.

"I was never ditching classes. I was such a goody-two shoes who liked school. And I haven't even dated anyone." Sierra made Rose just stare at her.

"Not even once?"

"Nope… Wait a min… There was this one time. Purely accident though. We were going to an amusement park with our class but I accidentally went there a week too early. So I stood there in the rain waiting for others and after a few calls went home completely soaked. Does it count?"

"No. No, it doesn't. And honestly? You have never dated?"

"Okay… And no, not even once."

Gwyneth stopped laughing and looked scandalized. She hadn't understood much what Sierra had been talking about but she knew what Rose had been talking about.

"Well, I don't know much about that, miss."

"Come on, times haven't changed that much! I bet you've done the same." Rose nudged the maid.

"I don't think so, miss."

"Gwyneth! You can tell us! Bet you've got your eye on someone."

"I suppose. There is one lad..." Gwyneth had a far-away look in her eyes. "The butcher's boy. He comes by every Tuesday. Such a lovely smile on him!"

"Oh, I like a nice smile. Good smile, nice bum." Sierra snickered at Gwyneth's scandalized face.

"Well, I have never heard the like!"

They all laughed.

"Ask him out! Give him a cup of tea or something, that's a start." Sierra told the young maid.

"I swear, it is the strangest thing, misses. You've got all the clothes and the breeding but you talk like some sort of wild things!"

"Maybe I am. Maybe that's a good thing. You need a bit more in your life than Mr Sneed." Rose laughed.

"I'm not that bad." Sierra protested quietly. She definitely wasn't as bad as Rose.

"Ah, now that's not fair. He's not so bad, old Sneed. He was very kind to me to take me in. Because I lost my mum and dad to the flu when I was twelve."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Rose and Sierra said in unison and stared each other then.

"Thank you, misses. But I'll be with them again, one day. Sitting with them in paradise. I should be so blessed. They're waiting for me. Maybe your dad's up there waiting for you too, miss." The last line was directed to Rose.

"Maybe." Rose nodded but stopped then. "Um, who told you he was dead?"

Gwyneth realized what she had just said and turned quickly back to the washing up. "I don't know, must've been the Doctor."

"My father died years back."

"And even the Doctor doesn't know about him. Or does he?" Sierra looked at Rose who shook her head.

"You've been thinking about him lately, more than ever." Gwyneth said quietly.

"I s'pose so... how do you know all this?"

"Mr. Sneed says I think too much. I'm all alone down here. I bet you've got dozens of servants, haven't you miss."

They laughed again.

"No, no servants where I'm from."

"And you've come such a long way." Gwyneth said to Rose and turned to look Sierra then. "And you are even farther away. From here yet not from here. Alone, looking for a rock to hang on."

"What makes you think so?" Sierra gathered all of her courage so she wouldn't stutter.

"You're from London. I've seen London in drawings, but never like that." Gwyneth stared Rose in the eyes. "All those people rushing about. Half naked, for shame. And the noise... and the metal boxes racing past... and the birds in the sky... they're metal as well. Metal birds with people in them. People flying. And you - you've flown so far, further than anyone! The things you've seen... the darkness… the Big Bad Wolf… And the Girl Who Stayed…" Gwyneth like woke up from a trance and took several steps backwards. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, misses!"

"S'alright..." Rose reassured her while Sierra looked shaken. She had known the maid would see a lot but this was too much. No one should know that she wasn't from this Earth. Not even that girl. The brunette stepped quietly out of the kitchen and leaned against the wall. The Doctor noticed her and walked to her but stopped to listen to Gwyneth.

"I can't help it - ever since I was a little girl. My mum said I had the sight. She told me to hide it!"

"But it's getting stronger. More powerful, is that right?" He interrupted, making Rose and Gwyneth both jump.

"All the time, sir. Every night. Voices in my head."

"You grew up on top of the rift. You're part of it. You're the key."

"I've tried to make sense of it, sir. Consulted with spiritualists, table wrappers, all sorts."

"Well, that should help. You can show us what to do."

"What to do where, sir?"

"We're going to have a séance." And with that, the Doctor turned around and strode back to the sitting room. Sierra just knew she wasn't going to take part of this. Absolutely not.

* * *

"D-Doctor…" Sierra asked cautiously.

"Yeah, what now?" The Time Lord smiled but there was a hint of concern in his voice and face.

"I was just thinking… Could I go back to the TARDIS? Or just walk around the town? I don't really want to be here."

"The TARDIS is locked right now but you can go and walk around. We'll be there shortly. Just don't get in trouble."

"Don't worry, I won't." Sierra almost laughed and left. On the way to the door she met up with Rose and Gwyneth.

"Sierra, are you going somewhere?" Rose questioned.

"Yeah, I need some fresh air." Sierra would've stuffed her hands into her pockets if she had had some in her dress. "See you in a bit. And Gwyneth…"

"Yes, Miss?"

Sierra hugged the maid. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But be brave, okay?" She let go of the young woman who was utterly confused.

"I'm not sure what are you talking about Miss but I'll be brave. Don't worry about me." Gwyneth smiled. Sierra almost burst in tears. But she put on a brave façade and hurried away.

* * *

Sierra walked along the streets. She was heading straight to the TARDIS. She didn't feel like loitering around, especially without a jacket. At the blue box she finally stopped. It was locked alright. So how would she get in? Sierra tested the door by simply pushing it. It didn't budge. Not that she had expected it to.

With a sigh Sierra whirled around and leaned her back against the blue wooden surface. Her palms were aching and the Doctor and Rose wouldn't come in hours. And when they'd come… A tear slipped down Sierra's cheek. Oh, Gwyneth, she was such a wonderful girl. Sierra straightened up. She shouldn't cry now. She had to get it.

"C'mon Old girl… Or should I call you Sexy? I need to get in. It's freezing here." She pressed her hands against the door and looked into the windows. "I know you can open this door if you want to."

She heard a soft humming sound and felt like her neck had been burnt with a wire. "Ouch!" She slapped her hand on her neck and fell on her knees. "What was that?" Her fingers felt the place she had felt the burn. It didn't hurt anymore but instead she felt a thin chain. Had it been the one to burn her skin? How? Now it was cool and normal, just like it was seconds before this.

Slowly Sierra pulled her necklace out of her shirt. She had kept it hidden under it so she wouldn't get awkward questions. It was her favorite necklace. One she had made herself. It was only a silver chain and a key hanging from it. It had been a normal house key but Sierra had engraved a Gallifreyan symbols on it. Symbols forming 'TARDIS'. She had found a guide via the Internet and ever since she had finished the necklace she had always worn it.

"Could it be…" Slowly Sierra tried the key to the lock. With a careful twist she heard 'klicks' and the door opened. "Whoa… How?" Sierra could only stare the key on her bandaged palm. The TARDIS just hummed contentedly and made the girl smile too. "You trust me then? You trust me. How come? Even the Doctor doesn't fully trust me." Sierra stepped in with bewilderment and closed the door behind her. The TARDIS simply continued humming. "Right, need to be a telepathist to have a conversation with you." Sierra shrugged and headed to the giant wardrobe to change her clothes back into her normal ones.

* * *

Sierra was sitting on the console and making notes when the door opened again. The Doctor and Rose stepped in while talking to Charles Dickens. They obviously hadn't noticed her yet.

"Doesn't that change history if he writes about blue ghosts?" Rose asked when the Doctor shut the door.

"In a week's time it's 1870, and that's the year he dies. Sorry. He'll never get to tell his story." The Time Lord answered and stopped. He had noticed Sierra on the console.

"Hi."

"Hi… How did you get in?" He frowned.

"The TARDIS let me in. In a way." Sierra shrugged. "How was the ghosts?"

"Scary." Rose said and walked to Sierra. "Watcha writing?"

"Nothing." Sierra closed her notebook and hopped off the console. The Doctor just stared at her but strode then to the console too. He and Rose both looked at the screen where they could see Dickens still standing outside.

"He was so nice." Rose said sadly.

"But in your time, he was already dead! We've brought him back to life! He's more alive now than he's ever been, old Charlie-boy. Let's give him one last surprise." The Doctor started up the engines and the TARDIS dematerialized.

* * *

When they were safely in the Time Vortex Rose suddenly rounded Sierra.

"Who are you?"

"What?"

"You heard me alright. Who are you?" The blonde made the brunette back up against the console. "You just appear out of nowhere and say your perfectly working watch is malfunctioning. You disappear and re-appear and always act like you know what is going on. You knew about the bomb going off at my working place. You knew this box wasn't just a box and weren't surprised at all about its interiors. You knew you couldn't travel with us unless you were invited yet you managed to appear on that space ship. And again you knew about the telepathic-translator-thingy and today about the stabilizers and brakes. So who the hell are you?"

Sierra looked away. "Like I said before, it's a complicated story that I'm not telling. Maybe someday. When you have chances to believe me. But not now nor any day soon." She turned around and put her notebook into her backpack which was now its normal self.

"Then what was that Sonic device you were using against the zombies?" Rose crossed her arms on her chest.

"My Sonic Light. I got it along with my Vortex Manipulator, my wristwatch." Sierra replied and lifted her gaze to the other side of the console where the Doctor was. Or had been. Where he was supposed to be. "Where…?" Sierra lifted her backpack on but it hit something. She hurtled around. The Doctor was standing right behind her, less than a meter from her. He was staring intently into her eyes. "What?"

The Time Lord's eyes fell onto the key Sierra wore. She hadn't slipped it under her shirt after changing. He's expression changed from suspicioning to almost scared and – without asking for permission – he placed his fingers on Sierra's temples.

"Do-Don't…" Sierra stuttered. She was scared what he might find and didn't know how to push him away. The images were already flashing in front of her eyes. Her early school years, her time playing with Scott, the time their family lived in China and also the other holidays aboard. And always… there always was a calendar on the background. 1999, 2004, 2008, 2010…

_"Stop it!"_

The hands were gone now. Sierra hadn't even realized that she'd screamed. She slumped against the console and breathed heavily. She had managed to stop the Doctor in time because… because in the year 2013 she had started watching Doctor Who. And he must not know about it. The things he had already seen this far could be from anywhere. They were normal human memories and nothing in them indicated that she was from another world. And Sierra really wanted to keep it that way, thank you very much.

The Doctor was still standing in front of her but had taken a step or two backwards. He was staring at the girl. No one, at least no human had ever managed to push him away. Not that he usually went into other people's heads. Sierra stood up. She had quiet, suppressed fury in her eyes.

"My head is a private place and you are not invited in. Not now. Not ever." She growled. The screen of her wrist watch was flashing. She tapped it and the larger screen popped out. She examined it for a second and said then. "I do hope that next time we meet you are not trying to violate my privacy. I never thought I would be I would be this disappointed in you, Doctor." She spat venomously. After one furious glare to Rose's direction – she after all had started this – Sierra slammed her hand on the watch and was gone.

* * *

The Vortex had never felt more comfortable and calming to Sierra. She was able to scream from the top of her lungs while she was heading to her destination. London it was. The same than the Doctor and Rose's but at least she'd be several months ahead of them.

* * *

"Doctor? Who is she?" Rose asked as the Doctor was again dancing around the console. This time he was deep in thought, though.

"I'm not sure. Human, would be my guess but she's not… She's not a regular human." The Time Lord talked more to himself than his blond-haired companion.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm not sure. She just didn't feel the same than others. And I scanned her earlier. The result was a bit different than yours."

"Well we are not related. Sure our DNA is different." Rose huffed.

"I don't mean that. I scanned you two on the species level. And you two were almost similar but not quite. Some older scanner would easily detect you as the same but not TARDIS or my Sonic Screwdriver." The Doctor checked some numbers from the television screen.

"Okay… What else do you know?" The blonde leaned against the console.

"She's some sort of timetraveller and supposed to be younger than you."

"Younger?"

"Yeah, she's from the year 2015, according to her birthdate and current age. She didn't let me get further than 2010 in her memories. Remarkable feat though. Pushing me away."

"So she's… nine? Supposed to be nine."

"Yeah."

"It wasn't nice though. Invading her head like that. You could have at least asked her for permission."

"I just wanted to know how she had gotten a hold on a TARDIS key and how exactly she got in."

"Didn't she say? This TARDIS let her in."

"Are you saying that TARDIS trusts her?"

"No… yes. Yes, I am." Rose said as confidently as she could. The Doctor looked away.

"Maybe…" He said slowly. "We should give her another chance…" The TARDIS hummed in agreement.

"We have to find her first."

"Well, good that I can trace her travelling signal then. Hang on tight!" The machine lurched and they were off to the direction their friend had gone.

* * *

Sierra walked along the streets of London. Everything was so peaceful. Not quiet, seeing she was in the middle of the capital of Great Britain, but normal. She had been there for a few months now and had arrived about a week after Rose had originally left with the Doctor. The first thing Sierra had done after arriving was going to talk with Jackie. After a couple of lies the Tyler matriarch wasn't too worried about Rose's whereabouts even though the majority of her huge amount of worry still lingered. The woman was also nice enough to let Sierra stay time to time at the Tylers'. She slept in Rose's room but sometimes jumped in time to get forward in the timeline. For those times Jackie assumed Sierra was visiting her family.

During those months Sierra calmed down enough to forgive the Doctor and Rose and give them a second chance. She just had to wait for them to arrive. Twelve months was a long time.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, here it was. No flames please. Or yes please. Even flames are welcome just don't kill me. I know this is pretty much jumping back and forth but this needed to be done sooner or later. And you have to admit: Sierra was quita suspicious.**

**Plz, review. I really need to know what do you think about this chapter.**

**The Next will be The Aliens of London. How will Jackie react on Rose's return when Sierra has been there almost the whole time? And What Sierra will do while waiting for The Doctor? Find out in nex chapter. And there'll be a special guest too!**


	4. The Girl who jumped and survived

**A/N: Hiya! Me here again! And here is your chapter. Thank you for the reviews, I have answered to some of you.**

**About Sierra... You know how I call her 'brunette' time to time? Well, she actually is not. You probably remember from the first chapter I told she had sand-colored/sandyblond hair. So she is actually more blonde than brunette but the reson is the I need to make difference between her and Rose. Rose is more blonde(dyed hair) than her but Sierra is naturally blonder actually... As the cover image even shows you, she is actually quita blond... I don't know why I wrote this but I felt like I needed to tell you.**

**Ooh, we have a special guest in this chapter. When you meet him you can't deny that these two fandoms are so in the same world. They both are BBC's two extremelly popular series after all.**

**Curious now? Gotcha! I 'll stop babbling now.**

* * *

**4. The Girl who Jumped and Survived  
(The Aliens of London)**

Sierra was walking. And walking. And walking. She was bored. It was almost the day when the spaceship would hit the Big Ben. The day when the Doctor and Rose would come back but twelve months too late. But not yet. Sierra sighed deep. She kind of missed the travelling already. She had to do something. Something breathtaking and absolutely crazy. Something no-one would believe to be true. Something like…

She stopped and her gaze travelled up along the building in front of her. It was a tall tower block that was almost only windows. A grin spread around her face. It was prefect!

* * *

Sierra was standing a top of the building and gripping the safety railing behind her. In front of her was only a fall. A long fall down. Her Vortex Manipulator already had the coordinates in it. Only one security camera was on and it was filming only her back. Another one was filming the fall and there was no way it would suddenly turn to film her face.

"Here we go…" She let go and slowly fell forward. And then she was off. Falling fast and slow at the same time. The ground was coming closer and closer but it was still too far. Sierra had her arms and legs spread in a star-shape but the air resistance made her bend them a bit. She moved her hands over her head now and grabbed a hold on her wrist. And when she was only ten meters from the ground, she touched the flashing light in her watch.

'Zap!'

She was now standing on the foot of the building and set off to run. That had been fun. "I wonder if anyone saw it… What might they think?" She laughed and ran all the way back to Tylers'.

* * *

On the next day she got her answer when she bought an evening magazine, a tabloid. There she was. On the front page even.

MYSTERIOUS GIRL JUMPED OFF THE TOP OF MARK'S ELECTRONICS IN MIDDAY. NO BODY FOUND.

There was no proper picture on her except when she was already falling. And then the place where she should have landed but nothing else. Sierra laughed and started to read the article. It definitely had been fun. On the half-way up the stairs, her key-necklace warmed up a bit and she turned to look out of window. The TARDIS had just materialized. Chuckling, Sierra strode up the rest of the stairs. The Doctor just couldn't be in time.

* * *

Rose and the Doctor stepped out. The Doctor leaned against the door and folded his arms.

"How long have I been gone?" Rose asked and turned around a bit.

"About 12 hours. And this is where also Sierra is. Too bad I lost the signal in midway…"

"Oooh! Right, I won't be long, I'm just gonna see my mum. And then we can find Sierra and apologize."

"What're you going to tell her?"

"I don't know! I've been to the year 5 billion... and only been gone, what, 12 hours?" Rose shrugged. They laughed.

"No, I'll just tell her I've spent the night at Shareens. See you later!" She walked a bit and truned around then again. "Oh - don't you disappear."

The Doctor gave her a look and Rose ran off to the direction of the apartments. He leaned again against the TARDIS. Rose was now running up the stairs to home with a grin on her face. The Doctor wandered around and kicked an empty can across the yard. Suddenly he spotted an old and worn poster taped on a lamppost. He walked over it and read the writing 'Can You Help?' with a photograph of Rose underneath it.

* * *

Sierra was sitting by the kitchen table and reading the tabloid again and again with a tea mug in her hands. Any second now… She got up and walked to the hall and could hear the keys rattling. Thankfully Jackie was in the other end of the apartment. The door opened and Rose stepped in. But before the blonde could say anything, Sierra covered her mouth and pressed her against the wall.

"Twelve months, not hours. You have been missing for twelve months and I've been doing a good bit of lying for you so your mum wouldn't be sick of worry. Haven't helped much though." She said with a low voice and let the other girl go then.

"What are you doing here?" Rose gasped for air.

"I stay here occasionally and get 'the situation reports' for your mum. And I've been here for a while so I'm kinda ready to forget what happened recently in the TARDIS." Sierra folded her arms with a huff. "And you better give me some credit. After all I_ did_ spend almost an entire year with your mother…"

"Sierra, who is it?" Jackie called from the kitchen.

"Just someone who should've come home ages ago!" Sierra called back. "I let you catch up."

Jackie came from the kitchen with a tea mug in her hand. She caught the sight of Rose and turned very pale. Rose gulped. This was no good.

"So, what's been going on? How've you been?" She asked nervously. The cup of tea smashed on the floor.

"It's you. Oh, my God. It's you. Oh my God." Jackie threw her arms around Rose. Over her mother's shoulder, she could see several variations of 'Where is Rose?' poster. Sierra slipped into the hallway and pushed the door closed. The Doctor was running the stairs up.

"It's not 12 hours, it's err... 12 months. She's been gone a whole year." He was mumbling.

"Yeah, I told her that." Sierra said loudly, her arms crossed on her chest.

"Sierra? You? How?"

"I've been here for a while and lied and lied for Rose's sake. And you are _not_ going to burst in yet." She said sternly.

"I see… I'm sorry. About the earlier." The Time Lord scratched his head. Sierra rolled her eyes.

"It's been months for me. And I've been jumping forward. But long time anyways. I'm ready to forgive you and Rose but don't you ever do that again."

"Never. I swear. Wait? Jumping forward? That must explain how I lost the signal…" The Doctor thought aloud.

"You were tracking me?" Sierra asked incredulously.

"Yes, to apologize." The Doctor noted then t-shirt the girl was wearing. It was deep blue and had 'TRUST ME I'M WITH THE DOCTOR' written on it with white block letters. Although the word 'with' was tilted and obviously handwritten. Above the text was a blue and white picture of TARDIS.

"What?" Sierra frowned.

"Nice shirt."

"Oh…"

* * *

"The hours I've sat here. Days and weeks and months all on my own." Jackie babbled as the four of them were seated in the living room. "I thought you were dead. And where were you? Travelling. What the hell does that mean? Travelling? That's no sort of answer."

"I thought I already explained you where Rose has been Mrs. Tyler." Sierra said calmly behind her paper.

"Yes, you did but how could I take your word when Rose wasn't calling at all?"

"Good question." The girl shot a look on Rose who squirmed in the armchair. A police officer was also in the room.

"You ask her." Jackie huffed to the officer. "She won't tell me! That's all they say. Travelling."

"That's what I was doing." Rose retorted.

"I was with them too. At first." Sierra added.

"And why did you leave then? If you were travelling with them." The police officer asked.

"We got into an argument and I couldn't stand being with them so I left. I regretted it almost immediately and when I had calmed down enough to go back, they had continued onwards. And before you interrupt, it was planned like that. The travels go on no matter what happens." Sierra lied smoothly. "I didn't have enough money to follow them anymore so I came here. Mrs. Tyler can prove it. I was even interviewed twelve months ago."

"Yes, I see. I suppose you are right. Maybe they were travelling. After all Ms. Tyler's passport was gone…" Rose shot Sierra a brief look and the brunette patted her jacket pocket.

"And I really meant to phone more times, I really did, I just... I forgot." Rose tried to explain.

"What, for a year? You forgot for a year? And I am left sitting here? I just don't believe you. Why won't you tell me where you've been?"

"I told you…" Sierra muttered.

"Actually, it's my fault. I sort of… err, employed Rose as my companion. As I did with Sierra." The Doctor put in now.

"When you say 'companion', is this a sexual relationship?" The police officer intrigued.

"No!" The three travelers shouted. But Jackie was already advancing the Doctor.

"Then what is it? Because you, you waltz in here all charms and smiles, and the next thing I know, she vanishes off the face of the earth! How old are you then? 40? 45? What, you find her on the Internet? Did you go online and pretend you're a doctor?"

"I AM a Doctor!"

"Prove it! Stitch this, mate." She slapped him across the face.

"Now _listen_ to me!" Sierra shouted and got on her feet. Everyone turned to look at her. "How daft can you lot be? It was merely a travelling companion sort of relationship. We were merely travelling companions. And listen to yourself Jackie. He's far too old for us and do you really think Rose would do something like that? And he really is a doctor."

* * *

Rose and Sierra were sitting on a wall and the Doctor was leaning against it.

"I can't tell her. I can't even begin... she's never gonna forgive me. And I missed a year? Was it good?"

"Middling."

"Boring." Sierra sighed. "That's why I jumped forward occasionally. Honestly, you missed nothing."

"You're so useless." Rose mumbled.

"Oi, who lied on your behalf? It could have been much worse."

"Well, if it's this much trouble, are you gonna stay here now?" The Doctor asked casually.

"I dunno. I can't do that to her again, though."

"Well, _she_'s not coming with us."

"Definitely not." Sierra agreed and took out her evening paper again. Rose and Doctor bursted out in laughter and soon she joined in too.

"No chance." Rose said through her tears of laughter.

"I don't do families."

"She slapped you!"

"900 years of time and space, and I've never been slapped by someone's mother."

"Really? Never?" Sierra looked up.

"Your face." Rose laughed.

"It hurt!"

"You're so gay!"

The Doctor looked offended.

"So…When you say 900 years…"

"That's my age."

"You're nine hundred years old."

"Yes, he is." Sierra stated.

"And you know how?" Rose looked at the other girl.

"Just do."

"My mum was right - that is one hell of an age gap." Rose jumped off the wall. "Every conversation with you just goes mental. There's no one else I can talk to. I've seen all that stuff up there, the size of it, and I can't say a word. Aliens and spaceships and things, and I'm the only person on planet earth who knows they exist."

"Actually there're more people but not many." Sierra said. The Doctor looked at her and noticed the headline of the tabloid she was reading.

"Was that you?"

"Huh?"

"'Girl jumped off the roof. No body found.' Was it you? At least she resembles you a bit."

"Well, yeah. I was bored yesterday because I knew you'd come today but not yesterday. So I did something crazy. I got good laughs."

At that moment, a spacecraft narrowly missed their heads and headed to Central London. It crashed into Big Ben and landed then in the Thames. The three just looked each other.

"Oh, that's just not fair." Rose huffed, and Sierra and The Doctor laughed. He grabbed the blonde's hand, and pulled her to the direction of the action. There was a chaos on the streets.

"It's blocked off." The Doctor observed.

"No shit Sherlock…" Sierra mumbled. "Excellent observation skills you have."

"We're miles from the centre. The scene must be grid locked. The whole of London must be closing down." Rose frowned.

"I know. I can't _believe_ I'm here to see this! This is fantastic!

"Did you know this was going to happen?"

"Nope!"

_"But the TARDIS did."_ Sierra thought. Next to her Rose was bombarding the Doctor with questions.

"Do you recognize the ship?"

"Nope!"

"Do you know why it crashed?"

"Nope!"

"Oh, I'm so glad I've got you."

"I bet you are! This is what I travel for, Rose! To see the history happening right in front of us." Sierra snickered at the Time Lords enthusiasm.

"Well, let's go and see it! Never mind the traffic, we've got the TARDIS!" Rose grabbed the Doctor's arm but he didn't move.

"Better not. They've already got one spaceship in the middle of London. I don't want to shove another one on top."

"Yeah, but yours looks like a big blue box. No one's going to notice." The blonde… did she whine?

"You'll be surprised; an emergency like this - there'll be all kinds of people watching. Trust me, the TARDIS stays where it is."

"So, history's happening and we're stuck here." Rose muttered.

"Yep!" Sierra smiled.

"We could always do what everybody else does." Rose almost sighed as she made this suggestion. The Doctor looked at her questioningly.

"We could watch it on TV."

"Okay, if you are going to do that, I'm off. See ya in a bit. A day or so…" Sierra turned around.

"Where are we going to meet then?" Rose asked.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll find you." Sierra waved over her shoulder and disappeared into the crowd.

'_Zap'_

* * *

The Doctor was switching the television from channel to channel in the TARDIS. Mickey peered over his shoulder.

"How many channels do you get?" The boy asked.

"All the basic packages."

"You get sports channels?" The Doctor looked up.

"Yes, I get the football." He said and turned then back towards the screen. "Hold on, I know that bloke."

"_It is looking likely that the government is bringing in alien specialists - those people who have devoted their lives to studying outer space."_

"UNIT! United Nations Intelligence Task force - good people."

"How do you know them?" Rose asked.

"'Cos he's worked for them." Mickey crossed his arms. "An' Sierra Adler was mentioned too."

"She was? I don't remember her. I met her at the same time than Rose." The Doctor frowned.

"Yeah, don't think I sat on my backside for twelve months, Doctor. I read up on you. You look deep enough on the Internet... and in the history books, and there's his name. Followed by a list of the dead."

"That's nice. Good boy, Ricky." The Doctor patted him on the shoulder but was oddly quiet then. How come he didn't remember Sierra if she had worked with UNIT before? Or then it wasn't yet on her timeline… Most likely she would take trips to his past but he couldn't remember then until they actually happened. After all he did have a feeling of meeting her before…

"If you know them, why don't you go and help?" Rose interrupted his train of thought.

"They wouldn't recognize me. I've changed a lot since the old days. Besides, the world's on a knife-edge. There's aliens out there and fake aliens. We want to keep this alien out of the mix. I'm going undercover... and eh, better keep the TARDIS out of site. Rickey! You've got a car - you can do some driving." The Doctor walked towards the door.

"Where to?" Mickey asked.

"The roads are clearing. Let's go and have a look at that spaceship." The Doctor said and they exited the blue box. If only to get arrested.

* * *

_'Zap'_

Sierra looked around. Yep, she was in the right place, 10 Downing Street. Rummaging her back pack, she found her psychic paper. She slipped in official looking frames(similar leather wallet than the doctor has) she had bought earlier and flashed it to a security guard. She was admitted in. From the corner of her eye she saw Harriet Jones following her and flashing her ID too. Sierra hurried forward on the corridor and after getting an ID she pulled it over her head. It would be just temporally. She didn't feel like getting electrocuted.

She took a seat at the back row and activated the prospection filter on her key necklace. Less questions the better. And since she had nothing else to do, she took the tabloid again to read. Fortunately it had many other articles too.

"That's you. The girl who jumped. I saw it all." A voice on her right asked. Sierra turned her head slowly towards the voice. A man with a black umbrella and reddish hair wearing a three-piece suit was sitting several seats from her but watching her directly in the eye. Sierra recognized him. He was Mycroft Holmes, The British Government himself. **(A/N: Dun dun dun duuun! Did ya expect that?)**

"You… You are not supposed to see me. Notice me." Sierra corrected herself.

"And you are not even supposed to be here." Mycroft stated. "Perception filter, right? You are not seen unless one wants to see you. The same with the psychic paper you used."

"Yes."

"And some sort of teleportation trick two days ago."

"Yes… Let me guess, you used the CCTV camera on the roof."

"Yes, you are correct."

Sierra sighed and took off her ID card. "If I were you I'd do the same." She pointed the card hanging around Mycroft's neck. He arched his eye brows but obliged.

"May I ask why?" He asked, taking note on the girl's appearance. A denim jacket, worn a lot, very old, maybe passed down from a family member. Big sister? No, she was the eldest and had only a younger brother. Mother then. Good relations with her family but hasn't seen them for a while. Why? Travelling? Yes, she had seen a lot. The t-shirt under her jacket was new. Mycroft took an extra note on the text in it. The jeans and shoes were comfortable but worn too. The girl obviously didn't care about shopping new clothes but didn't have lack of money either. She was out from high-school already but not working yet. Something between 18-21 then. Enjoyed comfortableness but didn't say no to adventure. Thinker, average smartness but somehow recognized him. It was a remarkable feat, Mycroft had to admit. And now… she was waiting for someone and knew something would happen with these ID badges.

"You'll see…" Sierra grew quiet as the Doctor waltzed into the room after the other experts. He sat right next to Sierra but didn't notice her at first. Not until she spoke. "Take off the ID card."

"Wha-? Sierra? How did you get here?"

"Little trick. Now take off your ID card." Sierra folded her tabloid and stuffed it into her backpack. Mycroft followed the exchange with a mild interest. This was the person she had been waiting for but who was this man? Ah, code Nine. The Doctor. Of course he'd be here. But now the meeting was about to begin.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd like to have your attention please. As you can see from the summaries in front of you, the ship had one porcine occupant-" A man named Asquith started but the Doctor got up, interrupting him and stuffing his ID card into his pocket. No one except the Slitheens-in-disguise plus Sierra and Mycroft seemed to notice it though

"Now, the _really_ interesting bit happened three days ago, see, filed away under every other business. The North Sea - the satellite detected a signal, a little blip of radiation at one hundred fathoms like there was something down there... You were just about to investigate and the next thing you know, this happens - spaceships, pigs - massive diversion - from what?" He said almost pompously. Mycroft crunched his face a bit and Sierra snickered a bit.

If aliens fake an alien crash and an alien pilot, what do they get?" The Doctor paused. "Us. They get us. It's not a diversion, it's a trap. This is all about us."

The experts all looked intrigued.

"Alien experts - the only people with knowledge how to fight them gathered together in one room." The other Slitheen-in-disguise(Joseph) farted. The Doctor raised his eyebrows and fixed him a pointed look. "Excuse me, do you mind not farting while I'm saving the world?"

"Would you rather silent but deadly?" The Slitheens-in-disguise sniggered. The Doctor stared at them. Mycroft frowned while Sierra was worried and angry. One of the Slitheen took off his hat and undid the zip on his forehead while the other one laughed manically next to him. The Slitheen pulled the human skin off and revealed what he really looked like inside. The Doctor could just stare him.

"We are the Slitheen." They announced and one of them took out a weapon from his pocket.(Joseph who was still in his human suit. "Thank you all for wearing your ID cards. They'll help to identify the bodies."

He pressed the button. Everyone in the room bathed in electric light. The Doctor fell on his knees in pain. The ID card was in his jacket pocket and even though it wasn't as powerful as it would have been when worn around neck it still had its effect. Sierra doubled over in her chair. Mycroft tossed his ID card aside but crouched between the benches anyways. He had to catch his breath. How had the girl known about this? His eyes flickered on the Doctor. Time-travelling, of course! She was one of his companions…

The Doctor shouted in pain as his whole body shook. The Slitheen were laughing.

**TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

**A/N: Bam bam baaam! Dramatic end. What did ya like? Was adding Mycroft a good move? And, no. Sherlock is not going to be in this one. In a later chapter but you need to wait for that one for a while. And you gotta admit that Doctor Who and Sherlock are so in the same universe. Dammit Moffat and Gatiss, why can't you make a joint episode/case with these? After all you write both of them!**

**Now, plz review! I'd really appreciate that. You know it. :)**


	5. Are we going nuke now?

**A/N: Alright here we are again. Hi! Here is the latter part of this adventure. I hope you like it. For some reason I'd like to ramble about something related to this but I have no idea what it could be... Oh well, let's just get cracking!**

* * *

**5. World War lll (Almost)**

The Doctor got on his feet slowly and somehow managed to shake of the electricity off his body.

"Deadly to humans maybe." He said and attached the ID card on the Slitheen. The Slitheen, connected to each other somehow, howled in pain. Sierra pulled her ID card out from her pocket and dropped it on the floor. Finally she could breathe normally. The Doctor pulled her on her feet and they ran out of the room. Mycroft stood up too. All the other occupants in the room were dead by now and he knew that the girl had saved his life by warning him about the ID cards. He walked out of the room calmly, thinking what he should and could do now.

* * *

The Doctor and Sierra ran to the reception where they found soldiers gathered.

"Oi! You want aliens - you've got them. They're inside Downing Street. Come on!" He clapped his hands and led them to the direction of the conference room, the soldiers' guns ready. Mycroft walked to them.

"I suppose I can trust the situation there to you, Doctor?" He asked.

"Yes, I suppose so."

"Good."

"Not good." Sierra stated. The both men looked at her. She shrugged. "Problems are bound to come."

* * *

They stepped into the conference room. Mycroft had decided to stick with them. They could see the Slitheen had their skin suits on now.

"Where've you been?" The Prime Minister-Slitheen asked. The security checked the bodies for any sign of life. "I called for help, I sounded the alarm. There was this... lightning! This kind of er... um... electricity, and they all collapsed!"

"I think they're all dead." One of the soldiers said.

"That's what I'm saying. He did it!" The Prime Minister-Slitheen pointed the Doctor. "That man there! They those two helped him!" He pointed Sierra and Mycroft.

"I think you will find the Prime Minister is an alien in disguise." The Doctor stated calmly. A silence followed. Sierra looked at Mycroft.

"Ready to run?"

"I suppose I have to."

"That's never going to work, is it?" The Doctor asked a police officer next to him.

"Nope." Came the reply.

"Fair enough." They ran.

"I told ya! Problems are bound to come!" Sierra laughed on their way to elevators. The Security was just behind them and they found themselves surrounded. The Doctor lifted his hands in the air, grinning. Sierra copied him while Mycroft just looked at the soldiers. How he could be so calm in the situation like that? And he was already exhausted. He still managed to look like it was nothing. Well, Holmes's and their acting skills.

"Under the jurisdiction of the Emergency Protocols, I authorize you to execute this man!" The Slitheen not in Prime Minister disguise announced.

"Uh, well, now, yes. You see, eh... the thing is... if I was you, if I was going to execute someone by backing them against the wall, between you and me, little word of advice..." The lift behind them pinged open. The Doctor grinned. "Don't stand them against the lift!"

They backed into the lift and the Doctor closed the doors with the Sonic Screwdriver.

* * *

The lift pinged open in upper floors and revealed yet another Slitheen. The Slitheen roared at them. Sierra winced but the Doctor just smiled and nodded around at the Slitheen, and Rose and Harriet Jones who were behind it.

"Hello!" But the doors pinged shut again.

"You think they got away?" Sierra asked.

"Of course they did." Mycroft scoffed. "Primary survival instincts. To flee as soon as they get the chance."

"Unless they froze in fear and confusion." The Doctor stated.

"Oh, thanks a lot." Sierra glared.

"What? I just pointed out another possibility."

"Even Sherlock has more… eye for situation than you do." Sierra leaned against the lift wall. After a second she continued. "No… No, he doesn't."

Mycroft looked at her. "How do you know my brother?"

"I don't. Well, I know him but I have never met him. Or talked to him. Or even seen him on the streets. But I know him anyways." The doors opened again and Sierra exited the lift after the Doctor before Mycroft got a chance to ask more questions.

The Doctor ran down stairs Sierra and Mycroft right behind him. From distance they could hear the Sergeant barking orders to his soldiers. In the upper floor the lift pinged again, and they backtracked a bit to hide in a crevice next to the door. Two Slitheens walked past them.

"We'll keep this floor quarantined as our last hunting ground before the final phase." One of them said. The Doctor waited patiently until they were out of sight. The two Slitheens joined with the third one.

"My brothers." The newcomer said.

"Happy hunting?" One of the two asked.

"It's wonderful. The more you prolong it, the more they stink." The newcomer answered.

"Sweat... and fear… I can smell an old girl... stale bird... brittle bones."

"And a ripe youngster. All hormones and adrenaline. Fresh enough to bend before she snaps." They talked and the newcomer swept the curtain aside, revealing Rose who had been hiding behind it. Rose screamed. Harriet jumped out from her hiding place.

"No! Take me first! Take me!" The MP shouted. At that moment Doctor crashed in and blasted a fire extinguisher at the Slitheens' faces. Sierra peeked into the room from the left side of the door. Mycroft merely leaned against the wall on the right side.

"Out! With me!" The Doctor shouted to Rose and Harriet. Rose pulled the curtains down and over a Slitheen's head. She and Harriet both ran to stand behind the Doctor. The Doctor looked at Harriet.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked.

"Harriet Jones - MP for Flydale North." She flashed her ID.

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

"Rosie, over here!" Sierra waved. Rose looked behind and smiled.

"Sierra, you're alright!"

"O' course I am."

The Doctor blasted the fire extinguisher again. Then they all, the all five of them ran for it.

"We need to get to the cabinet rooms!" The Doctor shouted.

"The Emergency Protocols are in there! They give instructions on aliens!" Harriet answered.

"Harriet Jones - I like you."

"And I like you too."

* * *

They ran and ran. The Doctor opened a locked door with the Sonic Screwdriver and they ran in the cabinet room behind it. The Slitheen were so close to them by now that they had no time to close the door, so the Doctor picked up a bottle of brandy and held his sonic screwdriver to it.

"One more move and my sonic device will triplicate the flammability of this alcohol. Whoof! We all go up. So back off." He threatened. Rose looked at him quizzically. Could the Sonic really do that? Harriet was just confused and Mycroft watched the bottle in curiosity. He did want to know what the Doctor was capable of doing although he wasn't as interested as Sherlock would have been. Sierra just held back her smile as she knew the Gallifreyan's threat to be a lie. Nevertheless, the Slitheens were hesitating. "Right then. Question time. Who exactly are the Slitheen?"

"They're aliens." Harriet said helpfully.

"Yes. I got that, thanks."

"Who are you, if not human?" One of the Slitheen asked.

"Who's not human?" Harriet frowned.

"He's not human." Rose and Sierra pointed the Doctor.

"He's not human?"

"Can I have a bit of hush?" The Doctor all but snapped.

"Sorry."

"So - what's the plan?"

"But he's got a Northern accent." Harriet said, puzzled.

"Lots of planets have a North." Rose said with a straight face which was quite an effort considering she had said the same a while back.

"I said hush. Come on!" The Doctor held the bottle of brandy in front of him in a threatening way. "You've got a spaceship hidden in the North Sea. It's transmitting a signal. You've murdered your way to the top of government - what for? Invasion?"

"Why would we invade this God forsaken rock?" The Slitheen asked.

"Then something's brought the Slitheen race here - what is it?"

"'The Slitheen race'?" One of the aliens chuckled.

"Slitheen is not our species. Slitheen is our surname. Jocrassa Fel Fotch Pasameer Day Slitheen at your service." Another explained.

"So, you're family." The Doctor concluded.

"It's a family business."

"Then you're out to make a profit. How can you do that on a 'God forsaken rock'?"

"Ahhh... excuse me? Your device will do what? Triplicate the flammability...?"

"Is that what I said?" The Doctor frowned. Sierra sighed.

"You already forgot what you said?"

"You're making it up!" One of the Slitheen exclaimed.

"Took them long enough though…" Sierra shrugged.

"Ah, well! Nice try. Harriet, have a drink. I think you're gonna need it." The Doctor offered the brandy to the MP.

"Pass it to the left first." She said.

"Sorry." The Doctor handed the glass to Rose.

"Thanks."

"Sierra, do you take?"

"Nah, I don't drink."

"Now we can end this hunt... with a slaughter." One of the Slitheen flexed its claws. The Doctor just folded his arms.

"Don't you think we should run?" Rose asked carefully.

"Fascinating history, Downing Street. Two thousand years ago, this was marsh land. 1730, it was occupied by a Mr. Chicken." The Time Lord started. "He was a nice man. 1796, this was the cabinet room - if the cabinet's in session and in danger, these are about the four most safest walls in the whole of Great Britain." He pressed a button near the door. "End of lesson."

Metal shutters fell down, blocking all the entrances of the room. The Doctor turned to Rose, Sierra, Mycroft and Harriet. The Holmes gave him a rare smile.

"Installed in 1991. Three inches of steel lining every single wall. Well done Doctor. They'll never get in." Mycroft nodded. "But do tell me… How do we get out?"

There was a pause.

"Ah."

* * *

The Doctor was dragging Indra's body to a cupboard where the previous Prime Minister's body also was. "What was his name?" He asked from Harriet.

"Which one?"

"This one - the secretary or whatever he was called."

Harriet walked closer to get a better look. "I don't know. I talked to him. I brought him a cup of coffee. I never asked his name."

"Indra." Sierra said, making everyone looking at her. "His name was Indra."

The Doctor didn't question her knowledge about the matter, just crossed Indra's arms on his chest. "Sorry." He whispered and strode back into the room then. "Right, what have we got? Any terminals? Anything?"

"No. The place is antique. What I don't get, is when they killed the Prime Minister, why didn't they use him as a disguise?" Rose frowned.

"He's too slim - they're big old beasts, they need to fit inside big humans." The Doctor explained.

"But the Slitheen are about 8 feet, how do they squeeze inside?"

"That's the device around their necks - compression field - literally shrinks them down a bit. That's why there's all that gas, it's a big exchange."

"Wish I had a compression field, I could fit a size smaller."

"You are already small enough, Rose. You are shorter than I." Sierra laughed.

"I said smaller not shorter. You may be tall but you are also slim." Rose retorted.

"Excuse me, people are dead, this is not the time for making jokes." Harriet interrupted the girls.

"Sorry... You get used to this stuff when you're friends with him." Rose smiled sheepishly while Sierra remained unfazed.

"True." The brunette smirked and casted a look on the Doctor, who was scanning the walls with the Sonic Screwdriver.

"Well, that's a strange friendship."

"Harriet Jones - I've heard that name before - Harriet Jones. You're not famous for anything, are you?" The Doctor looked over his shoulder.

"Huh! Hardly."

"Rings a bell, Harriet Jones…" He looked like he was struggling to remember something.

"Lifelong back bencher I'm afraid, and a fat lot of use I'm being now - the protocols are redundant, they list the people who can help and they're all dead downstairs."

"Hasn't it got like, defense codes and things? Can we just launch a nuclear bomb at 'em?" Rose asked.

"You're a very violent young woman."

"I'm serious! We could!"

"I don't think it would be a good idea. Besides nuclear strikes need a release code but it's kept secret by the United Nations." Mycroft said. The Doctor stopped scanning the mantelpiece and turned around.

"Say that again."

"The British Isles can't gain access to atomic weapons without a special resolution from the UN. Even I don't have the access on them." Mycroft said and poured himself a glass of brandy.

"Like that's ever stopped them." Rose huffed.

"Exactly, given our past record - and I voted against that, thank you very much. The codes have been taken out of the governments hands and given to the UN." Harriet added. The Doctor was frowning, obviously deep in thought. "Is it important?"

"Everything's important." The Time Lord said.

"If we only knew what the Slitheen wanted. Listen to me; I'm saying 'Slitheen' as if it's normal."

"What do they want, though?" Rose sat on the table. Sierra sat next to her.

"It can be anything. But something we have and their planet doesn't have."

"True, it's just one family. Not a whole race so it's not an invasion. They don't want a Slitheen world... They're out to make money, which means they want to use something, something here on Earth... some kind of asset." The Doctor mumbled.

"Does he ever listen to me?"

"Like what? Gold? Oil? Water?" Harriet talked to the Gallifreyan. The Doctor smiled to her.

"You're very good at this."

"Thank you."

"Harriet Jones - why do I know that name?"

"Yup, we are just air at the moment." Sierra quipped, meaning herself, Rose and Mycroft. Suddenly Rose's phone went off.

"Oh! That's me." The blonde hopped off the table to dig her phone out of her jeans pocket.

"We are not supposed to have a signal here." Mycroft pointed out. "Unless…" He eyes wandered to the Doctor who waved cheerfully to him. "Of course."

"He zapped it! Super-phone." Rose smiled.

"Then we can phone for help! You must have contacts." Harriet told the Doctor.

"Dead downstairs, yeah." He tilted his head a bit, indicating the doors.

"It's Mickey." Rose looked at the caller's ID.

"Oh, tell your stupid boyfriend we're busy." The Doctor threw.

"Don't say that. He could actually help us." Sierra said.

"Like how?"

"I dunno. You are the smart one. But… Mickey has a computer." Sierra winked.

"Yeah, he's not so stupid after all." Rose threw back and handed the Doctor the phone. On the screen was a picture of a Slitheen. Rose answered to the phone.

"…Is she alright, though? Don't put her on, just tell me." She said to Mickey but the Doctor snatched the phone from her.

"Is that Ricky? Don't talk, just shut up and go to your computer." He told the boy at the other end of the line. "… Mickey the Idiot - I might just choke before I finish this sentence, but eh - I need you."

Rose smiled widely. The Doctor was putting the mobile on speakerphone so they all could hear the other end of the conversation too.

"Say again."

"_It's asking for the password."_ Mickey repeated.

"Buffalo - two Fs, one L."

After the password typing they heard Mickey again. _"All the secret information known to mankind. See, they've known about aliens for years, they just kept us in the dark."_

"Mickey, you were born in the dark." The Doctor scoffed.

"Oh, leave him alone." Rose snapped.

"Besides majority of humankind was born without any idea about aliens." Sierra added.

"_Thank you. Password again."_

"Just repeat it, every time." Sierra mused absentmindedly. "They don't have very tight security systems, what do you think?" She casted a look on Mycroft.

"No. But in the other hand no one would expect them using only one password on everything."

* * *

"Big Ben - why did the Slitheen hit Big Ben?" The Doctor was pacing around the room now.

"You said to gather the experts - to kill them." Harriet suggested.

"That lot would've gathered for a weather balloon, you don't need to crash land in the middle of London."

"The Slitheen were hiding - and then they put the entire planet on red alert, what would they do that for?" Rose asked.

"_Oh, listen to her."_ Jackie's voice was heard this time.

"At least I'm trying!" Rose snapped.

"_Well, I've got a question if you don't mind. Because since that man walked into our lives, I have been attacked in the streets. I have had creatures from the pits of hell in my own living room, and my daughter's disappeared off the face of the Earth."_

"I told you what happened."

"_I'm talking to him. 'Cause I've seen this life of yours, Doctor. And maybe you get off on it. And maybe you think it's all clever and smart, but you tell me. Just answer me this - is my daughter safe?"_ Jackie asked the Doctor.

"I'm fine." Rose told her mother.

"_Is she safe? Will she always be safe? Can you promise me that?"_ Jackie continued. The Doctor glanced up at Rose, who looked back at him. They stared at each other. Sierra watched them both from her place on the table.

"_Well, what's the answer?"_

But before the Time Lord could answer Mickey took the phone again.

"_We're in."_ The Doctor rushed back to the table.

"Right then - on the left, there's a tab - an icon - little concentric circles - click on that." He advised.

"_What is it?"_

"The Slitheen have got a spaceship in the North Sea and it's transmitting that signal, now hush, let me work out what it's saying."

"_He'll have to answer me one day."_ Jackie huffed.

"_Hush!"_

"It's some sort of message."

"What's it say?" Rose asked immediately.

"Don't know - it's on a loop, keeps repeating." A doorbell rang in the other end of the line. "Hush!"

"_That's not me. Go and see who that is."_

"_It's three o'clock in the morning."_

"_Well go and tell them that."_

"No! Don't open the door!" Sierra shouted to Jackie and Mickey.

"_Why not?"_

"Because… There's another Slitheen there. They must have found out that you are on UNIT's website or then they just want press more information from you about us. After all it was you Jackie who got Doctor and Rose arrested." A silence fell by Sierra's words.

"_How do you know about that?"_ Jackie asked.

"I just do."

The doorbell was ringing more persistently.

"Just go to the kitchen and block the doors." She advised them. The Doctor wasn't paying any attention to them anymore and was musing about the signal.

"It's beaming out into space, who's it for?"

* * *

Meanwhile Jackie peeked out of the window and saw a police officer outside.

"It's him! It's the thing, it's the Slickeen!" She screamed.

"They've found us." Mickey said.

"_Mickey, I need that signal."_ The Doctor said.

"_Never mind the signal. Mum, just get out! Get out! Get out!"_ Rose shouted from the phone. Mickey picked up a cricket bat.

"We can't, it's by the front door." He told.

"_And there are no backdoor's in apartments…"_ Sierra sighed. _"Oi, you lot. Go to the kitchen. Now!"_

Jackie and Mickey could see the blue light shining beneath the cracks around the door.

"Oh, my God. It's unmasking. It's gonna kill us." Mickey gasped.

* * *

"There's got to be some way of stopping them!" Harriet turned to towards the Doctor. "You're supposed to be the expert, think of something!"

"I'm trying!"

"_I'll take it on, Jackie. You just run. Don't look back. Just run."_ Mickey yelled but from distance now as he was further away from the phone.

"No, both of you just go to the kitchen! That won't hold the Slitheen for long." Sierra yelled to them.

"What is he doing then?" Rose asked her eyes wide.

"He's leaning against the door and trying to hold it back."

"No!" Down the phone, they heard the Slitheen smashing the door in.

"That's my mother." Rose said weakly.

"Right! If we're going to find their weakness, we need to find out where they're from - which planet. So, judging by their face and shape, that narrows it down to five thousand planets within travelling distance. What else do we know about them? Information!" The Doctor looked at all of them in the room.

"They're green." Rose sterted.

"Yep, narrows it down."

"Uh, good sense of smell."

"Narrows it down."

"They can smell adrenaline." Sierra pointed out and bit back a smirk as she stole Rose's line.

"Narrows it down."

"The compression technology." Mycroft added.

"Narrows it down."

"The spaceship in the Thames - you said slipstream engine?" Rose frowned as she tried to remember the exact term.

"Narrows it down."

"_It's getting in!"_

"Oh! They hunt like it's a ritual." Rose remembered.

"Narrows it down."

"Wait a minute! Did you notice, when they fart - if you'll pardon the word - it doesn't just smell like a fart - if you'll pardon the word - it's something else, what is it, it's more like uh... um..." Harriet realized.

"Bad breath!" Rose exclaimed.

"That's it!"

"Calcium decay! Now that narrows it down!" The Doctor exclaimed.

"We're getting there, mum!" Rose shouted to the phone.

"_Too late!"_ Came Mickey's reply.

"Are you in the kitchen yet?" Sierra shouted to them.

"Calcium phosphate, organic calcium, living calcium, creatures made out of living calcium, what else, what else - hyphenated sodium - yes! That narrows it down to one planet!" The Doctor rambled but before he could get a chance to say the planet's name Sierra got ahead of him.

"Raxacoricofallapatorius." She said with an amazing speed. The Doctor stared at her blankly but blinked then.

"Exactly!"

"_Oh, yeah, great. We could write 'em a letter."_ Mickey shouted.

"Get into the kitchen!" The Doctor shouted back.

"_My God, it's going to rip us apart!"_

"Calcium, recombined with compression field - ascetic acid. Vinegar!"

"Just like Hannibal!" Harriet realized.

"Just like Hannibal. Mickey, have you got any vinegar?"

"_How should I know?"_

"It's your kitchen." The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"Cupboard by the sink, middle shelf." Rose instructed.

"_Give it here, what do you need?"_ Jackie had snatched the phone from Mickey.

"Anything with vinegar!"

"_Gherkins!... Yeah! Pickled onions!... Picked eggs!"_

"You kiss this man?" The Doctor asked Rose, incredulously. They hear a crash and then a bang. After the latter voice, they all(sans Mycroft, not his style really) breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hannibal?" Rose asked.

"Hannibal crossed the Alps by dissolving boulders with vinegar." Mycroft said a bored tone in his voice.

"Oh. Well, there you go then." They raised their glasses in toast, and drank. "Phew!"

"_Ladies and Gentlemen - Nations of the World - Human Kind. The greatest experts in extra-terrestrial events came here tonight. They gathered in the common cause. But the news I bring you now is grave indeed. The experts are dead. Murdered - right in front of me by alien hands. Peoples of the Earth, heed my words. These visitors do not come in peace."_

"Listen to this." Mickey said and held the phone at the TV.

"_Our inspectors have searched the sky above our heads and they have found massive weapons of destruction, capable of being deployed within 45 seconds."_

* * *

The Doctor, Rose and Harriet were crowded around the phone, listening to the TV.

"What?" The Doctor spat.

"_Our technicians can - baffle - the alien probes. But not for long. We are facing extinction. Unless we strike first. The United Kingdom stands directly beneath the belly of the mother ship. I beg the United Nations - pass an emergency resolution. Give us the access codes! A nuclear strike at the heart of the ship is our only chance of survival. Because... from this moment on... it is my solemn duty to inform you... planet Earth is at war."_

"He's making it up. There's no weapons up there, there's no threat. He just invented it." The Doctor stepped back.

"Do you think they'll believe him?" Harriet asked worriedly.

"They did last time." Rose answered.

"That's why the Slitheen went for spectacle. They want the whole world panicking, because you lot - you get scared, you lash out." The Doctor explained.

"They release the defense codes." Rose realized.

"And the Slitheen go nuclear."

"World War three." Sierra mused.

"But why?" Harriet frowned. The Doctor walked to the button by the doors and opened the metal shutters. The Slitheen were still standing outside the door.

"You get the codes, release the missiles. But not into space because there's nothing there. You attack every other country on Earth, they retaliate, fight back. World War Three - whole planet gets nuked." He told them.

"And we can sit through it in our spaceship waiting in the Thames. Not crashed. Just parked. They'll be two minutes away." The only Slitheen with a woman skin suit smiled evilly.

"But you'll destroy the planet, this beautiful place. What for?" Harriet asked, puzzled.

"Profit. That's what the signal is beaming into space - an advert." The Doctor didn't quite crunch his face in disgust.

"Sale of the century. We reduce the Earth to molten slag then sell it. Piece by piece. Radioactive chucks capable of powering every cut-price star liner and budget cargo ship. There's a recession out there, Doctor. People are buying cheap. This rock becomes raw fuel." The Slitheen cackled.

"At the cost of 5 billion lives."

"Bargain."

"That's just so sick." Sierra didn't have any problems to show on her face what she thought about the plan.

"Shut up stupid girl" The Slitheen snapped.

"Then I give you the choice - leave this planet or I'll stop you." The Doctor drew the Slitheens' attention away from Sierra. The Slitheens just burst out laughing.

"What? You? Trapped in your box?"

"Yes. Me." The Slitheen laughed again, but this time a bit nervously. The Doctor fixed it in his gaze and closed the shutters again.

* * *

Rose's phone rang. It was Jackie on the phone again.

"_Alright, Doctor. I'm not saying I trust you, but there must be something you can do."_ She told the Doctor.

"If we ferment the porch, we could make ascetic acid." Harriet suggested.

"Mickey, any luck?" Rose asked via the phone.

"_There's loads of emergency numbers - they're all on voicemail."_

The Doctor was standing quietly with his arms folded, leaning against the wall away from the others. He was deep in thought as was Mycroft too. He had even his fingertips pressed together in very Sherlock-like style. Sierra didn't giggle even though she felt like doing so. The brothers resembled each other much more than they knew – or wanted to admit.

"Voicemail dooms us all." Harriet sighed.

"If we could just get out of here." Rose mumbled.

"There's a way out." Mycroft stated. "The other thing is whether or not we'll use it."

"That's right." The Doctor nodded.

"What?" Rose asked her eyes wide and turned to face him incredulously.

"There's always been a way out." The Doctor repeated.

"Then why don't we use it?"

The Doctor strode over to the table and leaned over to speak into the phone.

"Because I can't guarantee your daughter will be safe." He told Jackie.

"_Don't you dare. Whatever it is, don't you dare."_

"That's the thing, if I don't dare, everyone dies."

"Do it." Rose ordered? The Doctor looked up at her.

"You don't even know what it is, you'd just let me?"

"Yeah." Rose shrugged.

"Just do it, Spaceman." Sierra laughed. "I know we all are going to be fine." The Doctor stared at them both.

"And you know how?" He stared her intently.

"Well, you looked into my head… What was it…? Three days ago for you. You surely remember that I was born on the year 1995 but now I'm nineteen. Impossible unless I'm from the future." Sierra explained. It would do for a while. Not need to tell them that she was from the future and another universe.

"_Please, Doctor. Please! She's my daughter, she's just a kid!"_ Jackie interrupted.

"Do you think I don't know that? Because this is my life, Jackie, it's not fun, it's not smart, it's just standing up and making a decision because nobody else will." The Doctor snapped.

"Then what're you waiting for?" Rose asked softly.

"I could save the world but lose you." They stared intensely each other for a long moment until Rose averted her gaze with a shy smile.

"Except it's not your decision, Doctor. It's mine." Harriet interrupted.

"And mine." Mycroft stated.

"_And who the hell are you?"_

"Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North. The only elected representative in this room, chosen by the people, for the people, and on behalf of the people I command you. Do it." Harriet introduced herself while Mycroft remained quiet. He wasn't going to announce his position – his real position – to some random people at the other end of the line. The Doctor in the other hand looked back at Rose and grinned. The girl hopped on the table again.

"How do we get out?" She asked.

Doctor opened the briefcase on the table containing the emergency protocols. "We don't. We stay here." He started going through them. After a while he addressed Mickey. "Use the buffalo

"_What're you doing?"_

"_Hacking into the Royal Navy."_ Mickey said like he didn't quite believe what he was doing. _"We're in. Here it is, uh... H.M.S. Taurean, Trafalgar Class Submarine, 10 miles off the coast of Plymouth."_

"Right, we need to select a missile." The Doctor explained.

"_We can't go nuclear, we don't have the defense codes."_

"We don't need it. All we need is an ordinary missile. What's the first category?"

"_Sub Haffoon, UGMA4A."_

"That's the one. Select."

"Do you even-?" Sierra cut herself off. She didn't want to know. Actually she already knew: The Doctor was improvising.

"_I could stop you."_

"_Do it, then."_

"Ready for this?"

"_Yeah."_

"Mickey the Idiot. The world is in your hands. Fire."

"_Oh, my God…"_

Harriet tapped the steel shutters. "How solid are these?"

"Not solid enough, built for short range attack, nothing this big." The Doctor answered.

"Alright. Now I'm making the decision. I'm not gonna die, we're gonna ride this one out." Rose opened a cupboard door. "It's like what they say about earthquakes, you can survive 'em by standing under a doorframe. Now this cupboard's small so it's strong. Come and help me! Come on!"

Harriet and Sierra hurried to help her. Suddenly they heard Mickey's voice again.

"_It's on radar. Counter defense 556."_

"Stop them intercepting it." The Doctor ordered.

"_I'm doing it now."_

"Good boy."

"_556 neutralized."_

* * *

The missile was approaching the 10 Downing street. Sierra eyed the cupboard.

"All five of us won't fit in." She stated.

"Obviously." The Doctor nodded.

"I'm out." Sierra continued. She tapped her watch and the screen popped out. "See you in ten minutes or so…" She tapped coordinates in. "Mr. Holmes. Hold my hand, please." She offered her left hand to Mycroft. He got up from the chair and took her hand.

"Timetraveler, huh?"

"In a way, yes." She held her right hand over her watch. "See ya guys!" She called over her shoulder.

'_Zap!'_

"They… She…" Harriet stuttered but bundled into the cupboard then, after the Doctor and Rose. They crouched in a corner, Rose and Harriet either side of the Doctor. "Nice knowing you both." They took each other's hands. "Hannibal!"

* * *

The Doctor, Rose and Harriet emerged from the wreckage. Harriet looked around.

"Made in Britain." She stated and nodded in appreciating way.

'_Zap!'_ Sierra and Mycroft appeared.

"Oh, look! I got exactly the right time. You could take after me, Doc!" She laughed and ran to hug Rose. Mycroft walked to them.

"I'll be on my way then. The British government is thanking you Doctor."

"Do they even know about me?" The Time Lord arched his eye brows.

"I do." Mycroft left without any other word. The Sergeant hurried past him and over to them.

"Are you alright?" Sergeant Price asked. Harriet took her ID card.

Harriet Jones. MP, Flydale North. I want you to contact UN immediately, tell the ambassadors the crisis is over and they can step down. Go on, tell the news!" She commanded.

"Yes, ma'am." He hurried away again.

"Someone's got a hell of a job sorting this lot out. Oh, Lord! We haven't even got a Prime Minister!" Harriet huffed and looked around her.

"Well, maybe you should have a go." The Doctor suggested.

"Me? I'm only a back-bencher."

"I'd vote for ya!" Rose told her.

"Me too." Sierra smiled. In her mind she was thinking the ironic of the fate of Harriet Jones. The first time she met the Doctor, she got later elected the Prime Minister. The second time… she had to resign because of what the Doctor said to her assistant. Because the Doctor made her resign, there become a power vacuum where the Master had a good chance to step forward and Harold Saxon. And later with the Stolen Earth case she was the one who got Martha, Jack, Sarah Jane, Rose and eventually the Doctor too together. And died because of that.

"Now, don't be silly." Harriet laughed. Rose and the Doctor grinned. Sierra grinned too but there was some sadness in her eyes. "Look, I'd better go and see if I can help." She climbed over the rubble towards the crowd of people. The Doctor beamed at Rose and Sierra.

"Hang on!" Harriet was heard to shout over the crowd. "The Earth is safe! Sergeant!"

* * *

They were walking together.

"I thought I knew the name." The Doctor told the girls. He glanced at Harriet hurrying over to the cameras and ambulances. "Harriet Jones - future Prime Minister. Elected for three successive terms - the architect of Britain's Golden Age."

"And you didn't remember it previously because she hadn't come to the right point of her timeline. Thinking that she would be something more than just a backbencher." Sierra explained. "Even I can't remember all the things while they are still happening. All the details. It needs a deciasion to be made. Otherwise the future could change."

"True. That's how it works."

* * *

"The crisis has passed! Ladies and Gentlemen - I have something to say to you all!" Harriet was speaking to the camera. "Mankind stands tall - proud - and undefeated. God bless the human race."

Rose entered her flat Sierra right after her, and they both were greeted with a huge hug from a relieved Jackie. Rose melted happily into the hug but for Sierra it took a while. This had taken her completely off guard.

They were sitting on the chairs in front of the TV, watching a repeat of Harriet Jones' speech.

"_Mankind stands tall - proud –…"_

"Harriet Jones. Who does she think she is? Look at her! Taking all the credit. Should be you on there. My daughter saved the world!" Jackie huffed.

"I think the Doctor helped a bit." Rose smiled.

"A bit more than just a bit." Sierra stated.

"Oh, alright then. Him too. You should be given knighthoods." Jackie continued. Sierra started to laugh.

"What?"

"Nothing… I just remembered one thing…" Sierra was wiping laughter tears from her eyes. Tooth and Claw… It would be a while to it but anyways. Knighted and exiled on the same day, in the same ceremony. It was quite a feat.

"That's not the way he does things. No fuss, he just... moves on. He's not that bad if you gave him a chance." Rose explained.

"He's good in a crisis, I'll give him that." Jackie nodded.

"Oh! Now the world has changed, you're saying nice things about him."

"No, the world is ending."

"Well, I reckon I've got no choice! There's no getting rid of him since you're infatuated." Jackie clarified.

"I'm not infatuated" Rose argued.

"What does he eat?"

"How do you mean?"

"I was gonna do shepherd's pie." Jackie told and the girls sniggered. "All of us. A proper sit down. 'Cause... I'm ready to listen. I wanna learn about you and him and that life you lead. Only, I dunno, he's an alien. For all I know, he eats grass and safety pins and things."

"He'll have shepherd pie. You're gonna cook for him?" Rose finally got herself together.

"What's wrong with that?"

"He's finally met his match."

"You're not too old for a slap, you know." Jackie went to kitchen. "You can go and visit your gran tomorrow. You'd better learn some French. I told her you were in France. I said you were au-pairing."

"Oh, by the way Rose…" Sierra pulled out the blonde's passport from her denim jacket. "Here. Nicking it was the first thing I did when I came back here. Made your story about travelling more believable."

"Thanks." Rose smiled and took the passport. Suddenly Rose's phone rang. The caller ID on the screen read 'TARDIS is calling' with a little TARDIS icon. Rose answered and Sierra pressed her ear against the phone.

"Hello?"

"_Right, I'll be a couple of hours, then we can go."_ The Doctor said.

"You've got a phone?

"No, he doesn't. It's just TARDIS." Sierra said.

"_Of course I do! You think I can travel through space and time and I haven't got a phone?"_ The Doctor laughed. _"Like I said, couple of hours... I've just got to send out this dispersal. There you go. That's cancelling out the Slitheen's advert in case any bargain hunters turn up."_

"My mother's cooking."

"_Good! Put her on a slow heat and let her simmer."_

Sierra laughed.

"She's cooking tea. For us." Rose clarified.

"_I don't do that."_

"She wants to get to know you."

"_Tough! I've got better things to do!"_

"It's just tea."

"_Not to me it isn't."_

"She's my mother."

"_Well, she's not mine!"_

"That's not fair!"

"Rose, don't argue with him. You can never win."

"_Well, you can stay there if you want!" _TheDoctor said and paused for a second._ "But right now there's this plasma storm brewing in the horse head nebula. Fires are burning 10 million miles wide. I could fly the TARDIS right into the heart of it then ride the shock wave all the way out - hurtle right across the sky and end up anywhere. Your choice_._"_

He hung up. Rose ended the call slowly and pressed the phone to her lips, deep in thought. Sierra watched her in silence. Jackie came back into the living room with two cups of tea.

"Rose, I was thinking…"

"That would be the first time…" Sierra mumbled but she didn't hear, for her luck. But the seat next to her, where Rose had sat, was empty. She took the mug Jackie gave her and took a sip. The woman left to the direction of Rose's room. After drinking, Sierra got up and slipped out of the door silently.

* * *

Mickey was sitting reading a newspaper on a bin outside the TARDIS when Sierra walked to him. A small boy was busy cleaning graffiti off from the side of the TARDIS. The Doctor poked his head around the door.

"Good lad. Graffiti that again and I'll 'ave ya. Now, beat it." He told the boy who ran off. The Doctor grinned and walked over Mickey and Sierra. The girl was reading the newspaper over the boy's shoulder.

"I just went down the shop. And I was thinking, you know, like the whole world's changed. Aliens and spaceships all in public. And here it is." Mickey told and showed the Doctor the front page of the newspaper, headlined 'Alien Hoax?'. The Doctor gave a small smile. "How could they do that? They saw it!"

"They're just not ready. You're happy to believe in something that's invisible, but if it's staring you in the face - nope! Can't see it! There's a scientific explanation for that. You're thick."

"Very scientific. I still have troubles to know whether you are insulting or complimenting us." Sierra rolled her eyes. Mickey laughed.

"We're just idiots."

"Well, not all of you." the Doctor shrugged.

"Yeah?"

"Present for you, Mickey." The Time Lord gave the boy a disc. "That's a virus. Put it online, it'll destroy every mention of me. I'll cease to exist."

"What do you want to do that for?"

"'Cos you're right. I am dangerous. I don't want anybody following me."

"How can you say that - and then take her with you?" Mickey gestured Rose who was walking towards them with Jackie.

"You could look after her. Come with us."

"I can't. This life of yours... it's just too much, I... I couldn't do it." Mickey shook his head and after seeing Rose and Jackie quite close now, he added. "Don't tell her I said that."

"I'll get a proper job. I'll work weekends, I'll pass my test and if Jim comes round again, I'll say no. I really will." Jackie was pleading her daughter.

"I'm not leaving 'cos of you. I'm travelling, that's all. And then I'll come back!" Rose reassured her mother.

"But it's not safe."

"Mum... if you saw it out there... you'd never stay home." Rose turned to the Doctor and dropped her backpack off her shoulders.

"Got enough stuff?" The Doctor asked sarcastically.

"Last time I stepped in there, it was spur of the moment." She threw the enormous bag on the Doctor's arms. "Now I'm signing up. You're stuck with me. Haha." She walked to Mickey. "Come with us. There's plenty of room."

"No chance, he's ah, a liability. I'm not having him on board." The Doctor answered for Mickey. Sierra looked away from them all to hide her smile.

"We'd be dead without him."

"My decision is final."

"Sorry." Rose apologized Mickey and they kissed briefly. Mickey gave her a small wave as she backed away.

"Good luck, then." He told her.

"You still can't promise me. What if she gets lost? What if something happens to you, Doctor, and she's left all alone standing on some moon a million light years away - how long do I wait then?" Jackie rounded the Doctor who just stood there hugging Rose's backpack. He didn't really had an answer, but Rose came to his rescue.

"Mum…You're forgetting - it's a time machine. I could go travelling around suns and planets and all the way out to the edge of the universe and by the time I get back, yeah - ten seconds would have passed. Just ten seconds. So stop worrying. See you in ten seconds time. Hmm?" She told her mother and hugged her.

The Doctor walked to the TARDIS and Rose followed him. There they both turned to look at Sierra who was leaning casually against the wall next to Mickey, her arms folded on her chest.

"I'm ready to give you a second chance but are you ready to give me the same?" She asked them.

"Yeah, absolutely. We shouldn't have…" Rose trailed off. She wasn't exactly sure what she shouldn't have done because after all everything in Sierra had struck suspicious to her.

"I was the one to run away."

"And I was the one to make you run." The Doctor pointed out.

"Well, yeah. But you had every reason to and you didn't see anything too dangerous that could affect the future." Sierra shrugged. Another half-lie again. She and the Doctor measured each other with stares before smiling at the same time. Sierra got up and walked to them.

"Let's go, folks." She grinned and they stepped into the TARDIS. Behind them Mickey gave a small wave and Rose shut the door, leaving Mickey and Jackie alone outside. The TARDIS dematerialised.

* * *

Mycroft walked into his office where his personal assistant was waiting for him with a clipboard. **(A/N: Time before smartphones, you know)**

"Callisto, I want all possible information about a girl named Sierra Adler. She, Rose Tyler, Jackie Tyler and Mickey Smith will also be put under surveillance. Level two this far." He told her and sat down at his desk. For a minute he thought about putting the Doctor under surveillance too but knew it would be impossible.

"Anything else, sir?" Callisto(Anthea) asked.

"Not at the moment… Wait, Harriet Jones, let's keep an eye on her too. Just in case."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

**A/N: Okay, here it was now some reviews please. I had really hard time with including both Mycroft and Sierra in the original plot.**

**The next chapter will come some time on next week. Bye!**


	6. The Crazy Pepperpot

**A/N: Hi! I'm going forward again! Sierra is back on board and there is no glitches in the view... No, wait! There's something... An pompous insane man... A base underground... And a deadly machine... I.E. We are in trouble. Have fun!**

**By the way, now we have reached the second set of my Sierra's outfics drawings. Here is the address. art/Sierra-s-outfics-2-378841388**

* * *

**6. The Giant Pepperpot  
(Dalek)**

The TARDIS materialized and the Doctor stepped out Rose and Sierra right after him.

"So, what is it? What's wrong?" Rose asked.

"Don't know, some kind of signal drawing the TARDIS off course..." The Doctor frowned.

"What sort of signal?" Sierra asked.

"Not sure."

They looked about themselves.

"Where are we? And when?" Rose asked again.

"In the middle of some whacko's collection…" Sierra muttered and peered into a vitrine next to them and continued further into the exhibit room.

"Earth, Utah, North America. About half a mile underground." The Doctor answered.

"In meters please!" The brunette called from a distance.

"About 800!" The Doctor called back.

"Thanks!"

"And... when are we? I already asked that, didn't I?" Rose looked around, trying to figure out the point of time they were in.

"2012."

"2012? Not too far from my timeline then. I left the year 2015. Never got to reach my twentieth birthday. Yay, I'm nineteen forever!" Sierra danced around the vitrines. How did she see so well in the dark, Rose didn't know.

"God, that's so close, so I should be... 26." Rose mumbled. "But Sierra, shouldn't your body age at least?"

"Nope." The Doctor said and flicked a switch of lights. Sierra frowned at him. What did he know? Why did he think like that? Rose in the other hand had already forgotten the matter as she saw where they were.

"Blimey! It's a great big museum!"

"An alien museum. Someone's got a hobby. They must've spent a fortune on this. Chunks of meteorite, moon dust... that's the milometer from the Roswell Spaceship." The Doctor pointed various objects in the vitrines. They noticed a Slitheen arm in one case.

"That's a bit of Slitheen! That's a Slitheen's arm, it's been stuffed." Rose didn't quite scream but she was really close to. Sierra grimaced at the sight of it while the Doctor noticed something else.

"Ah! Look at you!" Inside the vitrine he was approaching, was a metal head of some sort of robot. The Doctor stared through the glass at it. Rose and Sierra stood behind him and watched it too, one from right and the other from left.

"What is it?" Rose asked.

"An old friend of mine... well, enemy. The stuff of nightmares reduced to an exhibit. I'm getting old." The Doctor scratched his head.

"Is that where the signal's coming from?"

"Nah, it's stone dead. The signal's alive. Something's reaching out… Calling for help." He touched the glass case gently. Immediately, an alarm went off and they got surrounded by soldiers all pointing their guns at them.

"Oopsie…" Sierra grinned.

"If someone's collecting aliens, that makes you Exhibit A." Rose nudged the Doctor. He flashed the soldiers a grin.

* * *

Van Statten was sitting at a table while a young boy showed him the artifacts.

"And this is the last... paid $800,000 for it." The boy told him as The Doctor, Rose and Sierra where brought in.

"What does it do?" Van Statten took the artifact from the boy, Adam.

"Well you see, the tubes on the side must be to channel something, I think maybe fuel... "

"I really wouldn't hold it like that." The Doctor interrupted.

"Shut it." One of the soldiers, actually their leader, named Goddard snapped to him.

"Really, though, that's wrong." The Doctor continued.

"Is it dangerous?" Adam asked right away.

"No. Just looks silly." He held his hand out for the artifact. Security raised their guns. Van Statten stopped them and handed the object then to the Doctor.

"You just need to be..." The Doctor took the artifact and ran his fingers gently over its metallic surface. The item played a note a bit like a harmonica. "…delicate."

"It's a musical instrument." Van Statten realized.

The Doctor nodded: "And it's a long way from home."

"Here, let me." Van Statten stood up and grabbed it off the Doctor, who raised his eyebrows.

"I did say 'delicate'. Reacts to the smallest fingerprint."

The Item made a series of bleeping noises.

"It needs precision."

It made a few proper notes now. The Doctor smiled.

"Very good. Quite the expert."

"As are you." Van Statten said and tossed the artifact over his shoulder. Sierra slipped under the soldiers arms and caught it in midair.

"Thank you." She smiled and put it in her back pack. "I've always wanted one of these." She smiled brightly, annoying Van Statten.

"You can't do that! That's mine. Everything alien is mine." The man protested.

"Not anymore. Everything thrown away is public property. You threw this away so it wasn't yours anymore. For example a search warrant isn't needed for thrash bags outside of houses." Sierra explained with a bored voice.

"Who exactly are you?" Van Statten demanded from all of them. The Doctor looked back at Van Statten.

"I'm the Doctor. And who are you?"

"Like you don't know. We're hidden away with the most valuable collection of extra-terrestrial artifacts in the world and you just stumbled in by mistake."

"Pretty much sums me up, yeah."

"We always stumble in the most impossible places…" Sierra mused.

"The question is, how did you get in? 53 floors down. With your little cat burglar accomplices. Quite a collector yourself, they're rather pretty." Van Statten eyed Rose and Sierra both but a bit more Rose since she was blonder.

"Can I smack him?"

"Not if I get first." Rose muttered.

"She's English too! Hey, little Lord Fauntleroy - got you a girlfriend." Van Statten told Adam who decided to introduce the man.

"This is Mr. Henry Van Statten."

"Statten? Almost as bad name as Sneed." Sierra snorted.

"And who's he when he's at home?" Rose asked despite her smirk on Sierra's comment.

"Mr. Van Statten owns the Internet."

"Don't be stupid, no one owns the Internet." Rose stared at them, incredulously.

"He can think he owns it. It's impossible to actually do. The Internet isn't one or two computers. It's all the computers and cellphones all over the world. You can't hijack it, you can't shut it down. Maybe a single modem or so but not entire World Wide Web! There are so many servers working at the same time." Sierra all but shouted.

"And let's just keep the whole world thinking that way, right kids?"

"You are really thick, aren't you? Do you really think you could shut down Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and yadda yadda yadda? No, you couldn't."

"And what to you know about it?"

"I'm from three years from now on. And there you are just a nobody." Sierra leaned against the table and smirked with a dangerous glint in her eyes. "You think too much about yourself. You are only money but no knowledge."

"In the other words, you're an expert on just about everything except the things in your museum. Anything you don't understand, you lock up." The Doctor clarified. Sierra straightened up and shot a nasty glare on the pompous man in front of her.

"And you claim greater knowledge?" Van Statten snorted but was a bit shaken after the look in Sierra's eyes.

"I don't need to make claims. I know how good I am." The Doctor said calmly.

"And yet, I captured you. Right next to the Cage. What were you doing down there?" Van Statten was getting his pompous voice back. He truly was looking down at all of them.

"You tell me."

"The cage contains my one living specimen."

"And what's that?"

"Like you don't know."

"Show me."

"You wanna see it?"

"Blimey, you can smell the testosterone." Rose huffed.

"Oh, I'm going to go with them. I wanna see how this will turn up." Sierra smirked. Van Statten gave her slightly alarmed look but didn't protest.

"Goddard, inform the Cage. We're heading down. You, English. Look after the girl. Canoodle or spoon, or whatever it is you British do. And you - Doctor with no name... Come and see my pet."

* * *

Van Statten lead the Doctor and Sierra to the cage.

"We've tried everything. The creature has... shielded itself but there's definite signs of life inside." He explained as he entered a code to enter the Cage. The door to the Cage opened behind him.

"Inside? Inside what?" The Doctor frowned.

"Welcome back, sir. I've had to take the power down - the Metaltron is resting." A scientist greeted the American man.

"Metaltron?"

"Thought of it myself. Good, isn't it? Although I'd much to prefer to find out its real name." Van Statten told him proudly.

"Here, you'd better put these on." The scientist offered the Doctor a pair of gloves. "The last guy that touched it... burst into flames."

"I won't touch it then." The Time Lord stated calmly.

"Go ahead, Doctor. Impress me." Van Statten sneered. The Doctor stepped into the Cage, Sierra right after him. Van Statten stepped away. "Don't open that door until we get a result."

Sierra shot a glare on the man before the door closed behind them. The Doctor in the other hand was looking at some of the instruments Simmons used to torture the alien. There was only a single blue light that told them where the alien was.

"Look, I'm sorry about this. Mr. Van Statten might think he's clever, but never mind him. I've come to help. I'm the Doctor."

"Is it just me or does that look like a giant pepper pot?" Sierra frowned in the dim light.

"**Doc-tor."** The alien – Dalek, as Sierra already knew – said.

"Impossible." The Doctor whispered in shock.

"**THE Doctor?"**

Suddenly the lights came on and illuminated the Dalek.

"**Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!" **It cried and fought against the chains that held it still. The Doctor ran to the door and banged it. Sierra was frozen and could only stare to metal shielded alien. Maybe this hadn't been so good idea…

"Let me out!" The Doctor yelled. "Let _us_ out!"

"**Exterminate! You are an enemy of the Daleks! You must be destroyed!" **It waved its gun around but no beam came out. The Doctor stopped looking terrified and grinned.

"It's not working!" He exclaimed. The Dalek's eyestalk looked down at its gun. The Doctor laughed manically made shivers going down Sierra's spine. "Fantastic! Oh, fantastic! Powerless! Look at you. The Great Space Dustbin. How does it feel?"

"**Keep back!" **The Dalek said after the Doctor dashed towards it but stopped just inches from it, looking straight into its eyestalk.

"What for? What're you going to do to me?" A silence followed those words. "If you can't kill... then what are you good for, Dalek? What's the point of you?" He circled the Dalek. "You're nothing."

"**I am waiting for orders."** The Dalek told him.

"What does that mean?" Sierra asked and for her surprise her voice didn't shook.

"**I am a soldier. I was bred to receive orders."**

"Well you're never gonna get any. Not ever." The Doctor shrugged.

"**I demand orders!"**

"They're never gonna come! Your race is dead! You all burnt, all of you. Ten million ships on fire - the entire Dalek race wiped out in one second."

"**You lie!"**

"I watched it happen. I _made_ it happen!"

"**You destroyed us?"**

The Doctor's expression changed from maniac to guilty. He walked away, his back turned on the Dalek. Sierra watched him go but still made no move.

"I had no choice."

"**And what of the Time Lords?"**

"Dead. They burnt with you. The end of the last great Time War. Everyone lost."

"**And the coward survived."**

"Oh - and I caught your little signal... help me... poor little thing..."The Doctor mocked before continuing with his normal tone. "But there's no one else coming 'cos there's no one else left."

"**I am alone in the Universe."** The Dalek lowered its eyestalk and managed to even look sad. Sierra could feel sympathy for it. It was the only Dalek she could. The other she probably would meet… They'd be just terrifying.

"Yep." The Doctor smiled but as soon as the Dalek continued speaking, the smile faded.

"**So are you… We are the same."**

The Doctor spun around to face the Dalek.

"We're not the same, I'm not-" He said furiously but stopped then. "No - wait. Maybe we are. You're right, yeah, okay. You've got a point. 'Cos I know what to do. I know what should happen. I know what you deserve… Exterminate."

He pulled a lever on the control panel and the Dalek was immediately engulfed by electricity. It started screaming again.

"**Have pity!"**

"Why should I? You never did." The Doctor turned up the voltage and the volume of the screams increased. Sierra was holding her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted out of there. Even though it was a Dalek… No one deserved torture.

"No… Stop it… Don't do that…" Sierra fell on her knees slowly, still holding her head. The Doctor either didn't hear her or then ignored her promptly.

"STOP IT!" She screamed as the Dalek pleaded… her?

"**Help me!"**

Security bursted in and grabbed the Doctor before he could lunge for the control panel again. Van Statten addressed the Dalek.

"I saved your life, now talk to me! Goddamn it, talk to me!"

"You've got to destroy it!" The Doctor shouted as the security was dragging him away. For the first time he noticed Sierra on the floor, on her knees and seemingly oblivious what was going on around her as she was still covering her ears and keeping her eyes shut. "Sierra!"

"The last in the Universe. And now I know your name. Dalek. Speak to me, Dalek. I am Henry van Statten, now recognise me!" Van Statten shouted to the alien. After a silence he told the scientist. "Make it talk again, Simmons. Whatever it takes."

The man exited the Cell. "And leave the girl here. It's better if she's out of way."

"What? No! Sierra!" The Doctor started struggling again but got dragged into the elevator. The heavy metal door of the cell closed.

* * *

The security guards were away now. So were the Doctor, Van Statten and Goddard. Sierra was left alone into the cell with the Dalek. Even the scientist, Simmons, was gone. She lifted her head up slowly and opened her eyes. It was dark again. Dark and silent. It scared her. Sierra leaned against the wall and drew in a ragged breath. What had made her act like that? It had been just a scream. A scream of the most evil creature in existence. She looked at the Dalek. Back home she had emphasized with the Dalek while watching this episode. Was it stronger now because she was in here and heard the screams much louder and more real?

"You know, this is the first time I've seen a Dalek for real. Before I've seen only some pictures." She said quietly and shrugged off her back pack. From there she dug out the musical instrument she had gotten earlier. She played a few delicate notes with shaky fingers before continuing. "I wonder when your lot will learn not to touch Earth or any other planets. Probably never… Bad Wolf… Canary Warf… Manhattan 1932… Stolen Earth…World War 2… Pandorica… What else? Nevermind, Doctor is going to defeat your lot over and over again anyways. Yet you continue. You always survive while he loses everything…" Sierra played some more notes.

"**Are the Daleks alive?"** The Dalek finally asked. Sierra looked up.

"Not at the moment, on this timeline. But stuff will happen. Stuff always happens. But at the moment your fellows are in the Void with Cybermen and other bad beings. Or trapped inside the Time Lock where the war is…"

"**Who are you?"**

"I'm Sierra Adler."

"**What are you?"**

"Human."

"**You lie. Identify yourself."** The Dalek started to fight against the chains again. Sierra got on her feet and backed up against the wall.

"I just did!"

"**Identify. Obey, obey, OBEY!"**

Why don't you just scan me then?" Sierra huffed. All the uneasiness from before was gone by now.

"**Scan in progress."**

* * *

"Sir, you need to see this." One of the men in the room, where Van Statten was examining the Doctor, said. He was watching something on the screen behind the metal net rack the Doctor was bound to.

"The creature, Dalek, is talking to the girl. It's claiming she is not a human." The scientist explained after Van Statten had given him a threatening glare.

"Really? Let me see. Even the Doctor can come and take a look." Two of the security took the Time Lord down on the rack.

"_**Scan completed."**__ The Dalek said._

"_And the result is?" Sierra asked impatiently._

"_**Human."**_

"_I told you."_

"_**Non-human."**_

"_What?"_

"_**Non-human human."**_

"_What?"_

"_**Human non-human."**_

"_WHAT?" Sierra could only stare. What the heck? Did that Dalek have brain damage or something?_

The Doctor groaned. He should've told her. He had planned to but then that distress-signal came and everything went downhill. And of course the Dalek would be advanced enough to notice that Sierra wasn't human from here… Whatever the 'here' meant.

"Oh, isn't this interesting…" Van Statten smiled greedily at the screen but turned his back at it then. "Put him back!" He barked and the soldiers dragged the Doctor back to the rack.

* * *

Sierra heard the door opening behind her. She turned around briefly and saw Rose and Adam entering.

Rose was staring at the Dalek.

"Don't get too close..." Adam warned her. Sierra tilted her head. Now the Dalek would be getting more sympathy points from the blonde. Rose walked slowly to the Dalek and peered into its eyestalk.

"Hello?" She called carefully. The Dalek didn't respond. "Are you in pain? My name's Rose Tyler. I've got a friend, he can help. He's called the Doctor. What's your name?" She continued.

**"Yes."** The Dalek finally said.

"What?"

The Dalek raised its eyestalk to look at Rose and said slowly and wearily. **"I am in pain. They tortured me. But still they fear me. Do you fear me?"**

"No."

The Dalek lowered its eyestalk. Sierra watched in some sort of twisted fascination how the Dalek manipulated Rose to help it. And she simply couldn't move. Why she would've? She already knew how it would end and what would happen next. At least she thought she did.

**"I am dying."**

"No, we can help!"

**"I welcome death. But I am glad... that before I die... I met a human who was not afraid."**

"Isn't there anything I can do?" Rose asked slowly, her voice full of sadness and empathy.

**"My race is dead. I shall die alone."**

Rose had tears in her eyes now. She placed a hand gently on the Dalek.

"Rose, no!" Adam shouted but he was too late. Rose snatched her hand away as the spot she had touched burnt her. An orange handprint was seen on the Dalek before it faded away.

"**Genetic material extrapolated - initiate cellular reconstruction!"** The Dalek said with much different tone than it had used on Rose. It fought against the chains which gave in this time very easily. Simmons dashed into the room.

"What the hell have you done?" He shouted and approached the Dalek. It pointed the sucker at him. Simmons just laughed. "Whatcha gonna do? Sucker me to death?"

"It's going to do exactly that." Sierra said faintly and backed against the wall. Rose and Adam ran outside. Right after them the door got sealed before Sierra could reach it. "Dammit!" She hit her fist painfully on the metal. She couldn't even use her watch since she had left it to the TARDIS. This definitely wasn't her day.

"**You shall be my hostage unidentified Non-human."** The Dalek said behind her. Sierra turned around, confused. Why she wasn't killed instantly? The Daleks did not take any hostages. Or was it because it couldn't determine what she was? Nevertheless Sierra gulped and lifted her hands up.

* * *

The Doctor, Van Statten, Goddard and Van Statten's security guards exited the lift and entered Van Statten's office. The Doctor addressed a monitor where there was a communication link to the lobby of the Cage.

"You've got to keep it in that cell." He said.

"_Doctor, it's all my fault."_ Rose said from the other end of the intercom.

"_I've sealed the compartment. It can't get out, that lock's got a billion combinations."_ One of Van Statten's men, Bywater, said.

"The Dalek's a genius. It can calculate a thousand billion combinations in one second flat… Wait a minute. Where is Sierra?" The Doctor turned to look at Van Statten. "She's still there, isn't she? Possibly dead even?"

* * *

Inside the Cage, the Dalek placed its sucker on the code lock and began to run through all the combinations. In a short while the door was open.

"Open fire!" Someone shouted and gun shots were heard.

"**Behind." **The Dalek told Sierra who ducked behind it, safe from the bullets.

"Don't shoot it, I want it unharmed!" Van Statten shouted.

"Rose, get out of there!" The Doctor shouted since he could not see Sierra.

The Dalek approached the soldiers. Its head turned briefly at Sierra and it told her to follow. She got on her feet and started to walk behind it. The soldiers backed away and the Dalek went to the screen displaying the Doctor and Van Statten.

"_Sierra? You are alive?"_ The Doctor was surprised but also relieved and worried.

"Yeah, and a hostage."

"_You need to get out of-…"_ His voice was cut off as the Dalek smashed the sucker through the screen. It started to absorb energy and information. After minutes it backed up.

"**The Daleks survive in me!" **It said and started to fire its exterminator beam randomly around the room. Sierra crouched on the floor to avoid the beams. One of them wheezed right above her head, missing by only a few centimeters.

"Hey, hostages are not supposed to be killed!" She yelled to it.

* * *

"Sir, the cameras in the vault have gone down." Goddard said in the office.

"We've only got emergency power, it's eaten everything else. You've got to kill it now!" the Doctor said.

"All guards to converge in the Metaltron cage, immediately."

* * *

"**Aside!"** Sierra ducked again as the soldiers fired at the Dalek.

"Are they trying to kill me too?! Doctor!" She screamed. The bullets might not have any effect on the Dalek but she was only a regular human being.

* * *

The soldiers were lying dead on the floor now. The Dalek passed them, Sierra right behind it.

"I'm sorry…" She whispered as she looked at the bodies scattered around.

* * *

Goddard was showing the Doctor a map of the base on the computer screen. "That's us right below the surface. That's the cage - and that's the Dalek." She indicated a blue light moving along a corridor.

"This museum of yours - have you got any alien weapons?" The Doctor asked thoughtfully.

"Lots of them, but the trouble is the Dalek's between us and them." The woman answered.

"We've got to keep that thing alive. We could just seal the entire vault, trap it down there." Van Statten suggested.

"Leaving everyone trapped with it? Rose and Sierra are both down there. Sierra is held as a hostage and god knows how long she will be alive. I won't let that happen. Have you got that?" The Doctor turned back to the computer screen. "It's got to go through this area. What's that?"

"Weapons testing." Goddard answered.

"Give guns to the lawyers, technicians, anyone. Everyone. Only then have you got a chance of killing it."

* * *

Rose found herself at the foot of stairs. "Stairs! That's more like it! It hasn't got legs, it's stuck!"

"It's coming! Get up!" An soldier woman called De Maggio came after the blonde and Adam. They ran up the stairs and looked over the banisters to watch the Dalek and Sierra who was still right behind it. It stopped at the foot of the stairs. Adam gave out a small sigh of relief. The Dalek ran its eyestalk over the stairs.

"Great big alien death machine. Defeated by a flight of stairs." Adam told the Dalek mockingly.

"Don't! Don't provoke it! Just run! No guns or anything! Just run! Otherwise you are dead!" Sierra shouted at them. De Maggio was pointing the Dalek with a gun.

"Now, listen to me. I demand that you return to your cage. If you want to negotiate, then I guarantee that Mr Van Statten will be willing to talk. I accept that we imprisoned you and maybe that was wrong. But people have died, and that stops. Right now. The killing stops, have you got that?" The soldier told the alien. "I demand that you surrender, is that clear?"

There was a short pause.

"**El-ev-ate."**

"Oh my God." Rose gasped as the Dalek levitated on the small platform in the halfway of the stairs.

"Run!" Sierra screamed to them.

The Dalek proceeded up the stairs.

"Adam, get her out of here." De Maggio said.

"Come with us, you can't stop it!" Rose tried.

"Someone's got to try. Now get out!"

"Just run you all! Even you, De Maggio!" Sierra yelled. The soldier was surprised a bit as she knew her name but got herself together then.

"Don't look back, just run!" She pushed Adam and Rose up to the stairs. Sierra took out her Sonic light. The Dalek advanced. Sierra pressed the button. De Maggio's gun was jammed. She turned around and ran after the other two. Sierra let out a sigh of relief. No one deserved to die because of some whacko's idiocy.

* * *

The soldiers were positioning themselves. Through the intercom the Doctor was giving them advise.

"_The Dalek's surrounded by a force field. The bullets are melting before they even hit home but it's not indestructible. If you concentrate your fire, you might get through. Aim for the dome, the head, the eyepiece. That's the weak spot. And do not hit the girl with it. If you do…"_

"Thank you, Doctor, but I think I know how to fight one single tin robot. Positions!" The commander said. They readied their guns and waited. After a few moments, Rose, Adam and De Maggio ran into view, right in the middle of the open area.

"Hold your fire!" The commander shouted. Rose and Adam stopped but De Maggio grbbed their arms and pulled forward.

"You two, get the hell out of there! De Maggio, what do you think you are doing?" The commander shouted.

"I'm trying to stay alive while protecting these two, sir! My gun is jammed though, sir!" The female soldier answered.

"Take a new one from somewhere and get them out of there!"

"Yes, sir!"

The three ran outside the door the moment the Dalek slowly came into view, Sierra right behind it. They stopped for a moment to watch it. The Dalek also stopped, and it focused on them. Adam grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her away, but she stopped again.

"It was looking at me." The blonde said.

"Yeah, it wants to slaughter us!" Adam tugged Rose's hand but she pulled her hand away.

"We need to go now." De Maggio said sternly.

"I know! But it was looking right at me."

"So? It's just a sort of metal eye thing, it's looking all around!" Adam huffed impatiently. Rose shook her head.

"I don't know... it's like there's something inside looking at me, like... like it knows me."

* * *

The Dalek was now moving towards the door. Sierra took one cautious step and raised her Sonic Light. Just in case some of the soldiers would point the guns at her.

"On my mark..." The commander said. The Dalek looked up at them. "Open fire!"

They all started shooting at the Dalek. Like before, the bullets have no effect but nevertheless, Sierra ducked behind it.

* * *

After minutes of shooting without any effect on the Dalek, it levitated up and activated the sprinklers. And then… Everyone was dead. In a flash. Sierra had barely even realized what had happened. But then she noticed pain in her right leg. She let out a gasp as she saw a bullet wound on her right leg. It must have happened when the Dalek had levitated up and not shielding her anymore. Now her leg hurt so much.

A small cry escaped from Sierra's lips and she squeezed her eyes shut as she clutched her injured leg. The Dalek descended and looked at her. Blood was seeping through her jeans and coloring the wet floor red.

"**Stand." ** It said.

"I can't…" Sierra shook her head.

"**Obey."**

"I can't! I'm injured! Unlike you, I'm human and I get hurt!" Sierra shouted angry tears in her eyes.

"**You are not."**

"What?"

"**You are not a human."**

"You are still saying that…" Sierra sighed. "Fine, I try…" Slowly, she got up on her left leg and lowered her right leg carefully on the floor. She grimaced and almost lost her balance but straightened then and bit her lip. "I'm… just fine…" She told herself. The Dalek looked at her for a second but looked away then.

* * *

The screen showing the footage of the basement suddenly flashed back into life. The Dalek was still standing in the middle of the open area and Sierra leaned against it heavily. At first, only Goddard noticed.

"Sir..." The Doctor and Van Statten also looked round at the screen. Doctor was relieved to see Sierra still alive but angered immediately as he saw she was injured.

"_**I shall speak only to the Doctor."**_The Dalek said. The Doctor slowly straightened up, not taking his eyes off the Dalek.

"You're gonna get rusty." The Doctor pointed out without any humor in his voice.

"_**I fed off the DNA of Rose Tyler. Extrapolating the biomass of a time traveller regenerated me."**_

"What's your next trick?"

"_**I have been searching for the Daleks."**_

"Yeah, I saw. Downloading the Internet. What did you find?"

"_**I scanned your satellites and radio telescopes."**_

"And?"

"_**Nothing. Where shall I get my orders now?"**_ The Dalek sounded scared.

"You're just a soldier without commands."

"_**Then I shall follow the primary order - the Dalek instinct to destroy! To conquer!"**_

"What for? What's the point?" The Doctor sighed. A silence followed. "Don't you see? It's all gone. Everything you were, everything you stood for."

"_**Then what should I do?"**_

"All right then. If you want orders... follow this one: kill yourself."

"_**The Daleks must survive!"**_

"The Daleks have failed. Why don't you finish the job and make the Daleks extinct? Rid the Universe of your filth, why don't you just die?" The Doctor shouted this last word angrily. The Dalek was silent for a few seconds, then...

"_**You would make a good Dalek."**_

The screen went blank. The Doctor stared at it, dumbstruck. Then…

"Seal the vaults."

* * *

The Dalek elevated its way out of the room. Sierra clutched its metal plates. It was her only choice. The other was – of course – getting exterminated immediately. Thankfully this opinion she had chosen didn't include walking…

* * *

Adam and De Maggio were running up a flight of stairs in a stairwell, followed by Rose who was on her mobile to the Doctor.

"This isn't the best time." The blonde pointed out to the Time Lord.

"_Where are you?"_ He asked.

"Level 49."

"_You've got to keep moving - the vault's being sealed off, bulkhead level 46."_

"Can't you stop them closing?"

"_I'm the one who's closing them. I can't wait and I can't help you. Now for God's sake, run. When you are safe we get the TARDIS and fetch Sierra. Considering she's…"_

"She'll be fine. The Dalek seems to be protecting her or something." Rose looked over her shoulder. "At the moment she's… erm… riding on it."

"_Hostage must be kept with all the time. And she doesn't have any other choices." _

They rounded a corner on floor 46.

"We're nearly there, give us two seconds." Rose breathed to the phone.

"…_I'm sorry."_

The bulkhead began to lower. Adam and De Maggio were nearly there but Rose was falling behind a little. The Dalek was right behind them and Sierra with it. The girl aimed her Sonic at the bulkhead.

"_Vrrrr."_ The bulkhead slowed down a bit.

"Come on!" Adam shouted to Rose. De Maggio ducked under it. Suddenly a pain stroke through Sierra's leg, making her loose her balance and the bulkhead started to lower with its normal speed. It was only about a foot away from the ground when Adam managed to roll underneath it. Rose failed to do so.

"Sorry, I was a bit slow." She said to the phone and leaned against the wall-like door. She looked up to the Dalek and Sierra. "See you then Doctor."

"**Exterminate."**

"No!" Sierra shouted but fell on the floor when the Dalek gave her an electric shock. The beam hit the wall next to Rose's head.

* * *

Rose had her eyes closed. The Dalek was approaching her but doing nothing. It just stared at her as she opened her eyes cautiously to look round. She saw the Dalek right in front of her and Sierra lying on the floor and clutching her leg.

"Go on then, kill me… Why are you doing this?"

"**I am armed. I will kill. It is my purpose."**

"They're all dead because of you!" Rose shouted angrily.

"**They are dead because of us. Us three."**

"Oi, don't include me to that. I did nothing!" Sierra shouted weakly.

"And now what? What're you waiting for?" Rose asked.

"**I feel your fear."**

"What do you expect?!"

"**Daleks do not fear. Must not fear." **It shot the exterminating beam wildly at the wall either side of Rose.** "You gave me life. What else have you given me? I am contaminated!"**

"Oh, yeah. Daleks think they are so superior and above everyone else that being mixed with other beings DNA is disastrous in their opinion." Sierra sat up slowly. Her hands were totally bloodied now.

* * *

The screen sprung back into life. It showed Rose standing by the Dalek's side.

"_**Open the bulkhead or Rose Tyler dies."**_

The Doctor took a few steps towards the screen, an expression of joy and relief breaking out onto his face.

"You're alive!"

"_Can't get rid of me." _Rose smiled faintly. _"And Sierra is fine too. She just… is a bit stuck at the moment."_

"_I'm not stuck! I just am injured. And I blame that on you, Doc!"_ Came out of the camera's range.

"I thought you were dead. Both of you."

"_**Open the bulkhead!"**_

"_Don't do it!"_

"_Do it! Everything is going to be fine!"_

"_**What use are emotions if you will not save the woman you love?"**_

The Doctors was stunned. He turned to Van Statten, who was looking at him in shock.

"I killed her once. I can't do it again." He hit the return key.

* * *

The bulkhead opened and the Dalek and Rose stepped through it. The blonde looked back at Sierra who just shook her head and said: "Everything is going to be fine."

A silence fell as they were gone. Sierra sighed. She was still alive and she knew everyone else would be safe. She dragged herself by the wall and leaned against it. The blood loss started to make her dizzy already…

* * *

Sierra opened her eyes by hearing the familiar noise of the TARDIS's materializing. And there she was, standing right in front of the girl. The door opened and the Doctor looked out.

"Good to see you alright." He said and stepped out.

"I'm not…" Sierra muttered sleepily and winced as the pain in her leg shot through her again. "Bloody soldiers…"

"Oh, come 'ere." The Doctor crouched down and scooped her up on his arms. Sierra let out a small voice in a weak protest. "Shush. You need medical attention."

"'s everyone alright?" The girl asked.

"Yes, they are fine."

"An' the Dal'k?"

"Destroyed itself."

"Mmm-hmh…" Sierra leaned her head against the Doctor's shoulder and drifted into sleep again as the Time Lord carried her into the TARDIS.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, you got your portion of Doctor/Sierra now. I hope you are happy. I hadn't really planned it beforehand... it just happened. There won't be any romance between them though. At least not during this series... They just sync very well.**

**And about Sierra's reaction when the Doctor was electrocuzing the Dalek... Let's say she became oversensitive to the screams of torture. Nothing to do with traumas or anything. She just can't stand hearing when someone is being tortured in someway.**

**Now, please review. Last time made me really happy and I'm thankful for it. Thank for all of you who faved, subscribed, reviewed. It means much to me. :)**


	7. Kinda Long Game

**A/N: Hello! I'm here again. I've some good news for you. I've managed to write almost all chapters of this first series. Yay! *standing ovations* I'm so happy!**

**Then to your reviews. I'm happy of them of course and I hope you won't quit posting them because I say this. I noticed one thing in them. Pretty many of them actually. You keep asking about Doctor/Sierra romance. It won't happen. At least not in this fic. Naturally, she will get a proper crush on him during time(series 2 actually) like majority of the companions but there won't be romance. I give a green flag for Nine/Rose and Ten/Rose and so does Sierra. Then there will be some flirting with Jack. *cough*Just flirting? *cough***

**Other questions will be answered during time. I don't want to spoil this fic. ;)**

**Anyways! Let's get on with the story itself then.**

* * *

**7. Kinda Long Game**

Sierra sat on the captain's seat in the console room, looking at her Vortex Manipulator. The Doctor had bandaged her leg some time ago and given her something for the pain. She still felt a bit weak but it didn't stop her of observing the watch. Something was wrong with it. She wasn't sure what it was but it felt different. More… alive.

"Rubbish… It's just a wrist watch. I left it here only for a couple of hours…"

* * *

Unbeknownst to all three of the time-travelers, something had happened in the TARDIS while they had been all around the Base in Utah. Sierra had indeed left her wrist watch Vortex Manipulator a top of the console. According to her it was sometimes a bit too heavy and she didn't want to wear it all the time. So the watch had been left behind. But while everyone had been out, swirls of gold streams had filled the console room, rising from the depths of the console itself. And after a while narrower, bluish streams had risen from the watch too, dug up by the golden ones. The streams weaved together and rushed inside the watch then. The screen of the watch glowed and flashed for a while before settling down.

* * *

Sierra frowned at the watch but shrugged then and clasped it around her wrist. She could feel something pulsating inside it. She would investigate it later. Now she had more pressing question in her mind.

"Doctor… The Dalek said I was not human? How's that possible?"

"Ah, excellent question. The thing is, you see, that you are human but not the same than Rose or Adam." The Doctor said. To Rose's look he added. "Yes, I scanned him too. Just to make sure. Anyways. You – if you want to use the term – work on a different frequency than them. And depending on the equipment you may or may not be detected as human."

"Oh… I see." Different frequency? Well, Sierra was from another world, was she not?

"Doctor, where are we going?" Rose asked at the console as the Doctor… danced around it, pulling levers and flipping switches at the same time. Adam was just staring the process.

"You'll see. Hold on, we are landing!" The Doctor grabbed the console and the TARDIS lurched. Sierra gripped the back of the chair and winced when her leg moved painfully. Rose gripped the railing while Adam had flown on the floor. The girls laughed merrily at his misfortune. After all it was always bound to happen to everyone sooner or later.

* * *

The TARDIS materialized. When she stopped whirring, the Doctor and Rose step out. Sierra limped after them.

"So, it's 200 000, it's a spaceship... no wait a minute, space station, and uh... go and try that gate over there. Off you go!" The Doctor said. He leaned against the TARDIS, waiting.

"200 000?" Rose asked.

"200 000."

"Awesome." Sierra grinned but winced again. She leaned against the TARDIS. "Although I can't do much exploring with this leg."

"'Kay…" Rose said slowly. The Doctor grinned and raised his eyebrows. Rose giggled as she opened the TARDIS door and called inside. "Adam? Out you come."

Adam stepped out with his mouth hanging open. "Oh my God."

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it." Rose laughed.

"Where are we?" the boy asked quizzically.

"Good question. Let's see. So, um... judging by the architecture, I'd say we're around the year 200 000." Rose put up a show to impress the boy. Adam nodded and mumbled. "If you listen... engines. We're on some sort of space station. Yeah. Definitely a space station. It's a bit warm in here, they could turn the heating down... Tell you what - let's try that gate. Come on!" Rose grabbed Adam's arm and dragged him to the gate and opened it. The Doctor followed her into the room beyond, helping Sierra in process.

"Say, Doctor… would you take a look at my Vortex Manipulator later? There's something funny in it." Sierra asked.

"Sure."

"And no destroying it." She warned him. She remembered well what the Tenth Doctor did to Jack's 'Space Hopper'.

"Of course not."

They arrived to an observation deck. Beneath them they can see the Earth.

"Here we go! And this is..." Rose continued to Adam but paused then at the sight of her home planet. The boy was taking support from the railing.

"Yup a bit different than the previous time we saw it from this angle." Sierra smirked and hopped closer to see better. The Earth was truly magnificent sight. The blue planet. A gem in the space.

"Yea... I'll let the Doctor describe it." Rose said slowly as she took in the sight.

"The fourth great and bountiful human empire. And there it is. Planet Earth at its height. Covered with mega-cities, five moons - population 96 billion. The hub of a galactic domain, stretching across a million planets, a million species - with mankind right in the middle." The Doctor told them.

"Called also Sol Three." Sierra added. Adam fainted with a girlish sigh. None of the time-travelers bothered to even turn around.

"He's your boyfriend." The Doctor said to Rose.

"Not anymore." The blonde said. Sierra laughed.

* * *

They were walking along the deck in floor 139. The Doctor was explaining them about the era.

"You're gonna like this fantastic period of history. The human race at its most intelligent - culture, art, politics. This era has got fine food, good manners-"

A man pushed past them. "Out of the way!" He said rudely. Floor 139 suddenly sprung into life around them. Food stools were set up all around them and people bustled past the four of them to queue up. There was much chatter.

"One at a time..." A chef from his food stall told his customers. The Doctor looked bemused. "Oi! You, mate! Stop pushing. Get back. I SAID, back." The chef yelled to a spiky-haired man. Rose examined the fast food behind the cases and turned to the Doctor.

"Fine cuisine?" She questioned.

"My watch must be wrong." The Doctor mumbled and checked it. "No, it's fine... weird."

"That's what comes of showing off. Your history's not as good as you thought it was." Rose snorted.

"My history's perfect."

"Well, obviously not..." Rose teased him.

"Or then something must have happened to change the course of history. For example…" Sierra turned to Adam who voice the exact though she had been thinking.

"They're all human. What about the millions of planets? The millions of species? Where are they?" The boy asked.

"Exactly, just like the Doctor said this is the point of time when human race is spreading across the universe and forming raltions with other species… So where are the other species here?"

"Good question. Actually, that _is_ a good question." The Doctor put his arm on Adam's shoulders. "Adam, me' old mate, you must be starving."

"No, I'm just a bit time sick." The boy shrugged.

"Nah, you just need a bit of grub." The Time Lord turned to the chef. "Oi, mate - how much is a cronk burger?"

"Two credits twenty, sweetheart. Now, join the queue." The chef answered.

"Money. We need money." He walked to the cashpoint nearby. "Have to use a cashpoint." The Doctor held the Sonic Screwdriver to the cashpoint and a credit card fell out. It looked like a metal strip. The Doctor handed it to Adam.

"There you go - pocket money. Don't spend it all on sweets." He told and walked away.

"How does it work?" The boy called after him.

The Doctor turned around. "Go and find out! Stop nagging me! The thing is, Adam, time travel's like visiting Paris. You can't just read the guide book; you've got to throw yourself in. Eat the food, use the wrong verbs, get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers."

Rose and Sierra laugh. Adam just stared at him, brow furrowed.

"...or is that just me? Stop asking questions, go on, do it!" He shooed the boy away. Adam turned and walked into the crowd. "Off you go then! Your first date." The Doctor told Rose. "And keep an eye on Sierra too."

"Hey! I don't need babysitting!"

"Yes you are after your previous stunt. And you are injured. Anything could happen."

"I wouldn't be injured if those soldiers hadn't been firing at me… If you hadn't ordered them to fire at the Dalek…" Sierra mumbled and limped after Adam.

"You're going to get a smack, you are." Rose muttered. The Doctor grinned and walked away.

* * *

Sierra sat down with a sigh. Her leg was throbbing again. Rose sat opposite her.

"You okay?"

"Nope. Well, I'm fine but my leg hurts. I would've wanted to follow the Doctor and find out the answer to my question. Or Adam's question. Although I already know something…"

"Like what?"

"This is the Satellite Five. All news going on the Earth and in the space go via this place and are then sent to the Earth to the people."

"Whoa, quita impressive."

"But. There is always a 'but'. This also a place where the information can be tampered and -." Sierra got interrupted when Adam came back with the food.

"I wasn't sure what to take so I asked what the chef would recommend and got these. I hope you like." He shrugged and placed a metal tray on the table.

"Food!" Sierra grabbed the nearest burger and after unwrapping it, took a big bite from it. Rose laughed. "What? I'm starving."

"_All staff are reminded that the canteen area now has self-cleaning tables. Thank you!" _Came from the loudspeakers. Adam was sitting at a crowded table opposite Sierra. Rose had stood up and was offering him a paper cup.

"Try this. It's called 'zaffic'. It's nice. It's like a - um - slush puppy." Rose told the boy.

"What's a slush puppy?" Sierra frowned.

"You don't know?" Adem asked, incredulously.

"I'm not from England, I don't know all your terms." Sierra pouted.

"Where are you from then?"

"Finland."

"And that's…?"

"Don't you know? A kinda small country in the northern Europe, between Sweden and Russia. That's the place where Nokia originated from and… Angry Birds!"

"Angry Birds?" Rose repeated.

"And mobile phone game from Rovio Entertaiment. It was published… 2008?" Adam explained.

"About that time yeah. It's one awesome game." Sierra grinned.

"So that's from Finland… I thought it was from Japan or something."

"You can't be serious…"

"So…What flavour?" Adam changed the topic back to the drink Rose had been offering to him.

"Um..." The blonde tasted it. "Sort of, beef?"

"Beef?" Now it was Sierra's turn to repeat.

"Oh, my God..." Adam mumbled. Rose laughed and the boy shook his head. "It's like everything's gone. Home - family - everything."

Rose looked at him with concern. She took her phone out of her pocket and gave it to him. "This helps... The Doctor gave it a bit of a top-up. Who's back home? Your mum and dad?"

"Yeah."

"Phone 'em up."

"But that's one hundred and ninety- eight thousand years ago."

"So? That phone is zapped." Sierra took a sip from her drink. It tasted like ginger, garlic and soy. A bit like to wok food. No too bad.

"Honestly, try it. Go on!" Rose was still holding the phone out for Adam who finally took it.

"Is there a code for planet Earth?" He asked.

"Just dial!" Rose laughed. Adam did.

* * *

After the phone call Adam was much brighter and also astounded. "That is just-."

An alarm rang. Everyone started to abandon the canteen area, but Rose and Adam didn't know what to do. Sierra got on her feet with another sigh. Here they'd go again. The Doctor was seen through the crowd a short distance away.

"Oi! Mutt and Jeff! And miss Limpy. Over here!" The Doctor called. Sierra glared him after hearing her nick-name. Rose in the other hand got up immediately and joined him. Sierra limped after her and took support them from the Time Lord. Adam paused for a moment, holding Rose's phone but pocketed it then. The three teens joined with the Doctor and two ladies with him. They all were led to a room called the Spike Room.

They were now joined by several others in the room. Sierra looked around in interest. There was a chair mush like the dentist's chair in the middle of the room, around which the staff were sitting cross legged. In front of them were pads on which to place their hands. The Doctor, Rose, Sierra and Adam stood leaning against the railing at the side of the room, although Sierra was sitting on the railing. One of the women they had met at the canteen area, Cathica, was in the middle of the octagonal platform. She was obviously the one in lead of this section.

"Now. Everybody behave. We have a management inspection." Cathica told her coworkers and addressed then to the Doctor. "How do you want it? By the book?"

"Oh, right from scratch, thanks." He replied and Sierra snorted. No one noticed it though. Cathica turned away. The Doctor and Rose smirked at each other.

"Ok, so - ladies, gentlemen, multisex, undecided or robot - my name is Cathica Santini Kadainy. That's Cathica with a 'C', in case you want to write to Floor 500 praising me, and please... do..." The woman told. "Now, please feel free to ask any questions. The process of news gathering must be open, honest, and be non-biased. That's company policy." She turned to smile at the Doctor. The Doctor nodded.

"Actually... it's the law." One of the people on the floor corrected. For some reason Cathica got irritated by that.

"Yes, thank you, Suki. Okay, keep it calm... don't show off for the guests... here we go." Cathica walked to the chair and laid down. "And... engage safety..."

The staff held their hands out over their hand pads. Each of the eight walls light up as they did so. The 'management' looked around. Cathica clicked her fingers, and a door in her forehead opened, revealing her brain. The Doctor and Sierra looked mildly disgusted, Rose alarmed, and Adam leaned forward slightly trying to get a better look. The staff placed their hands down on the pads and closed their eyes.

"And 3... 2... and spike." A blue light spiked down into Cathica's brain, flowing into her.

"Compressed information, streaming into her. Reports from every city, every country, every planet, and they all get packaged inside her head. She becomes part of the software. Her brain _is_ the computer." The Doctor told the teens.

"If it all goes through her, she must be a genius." Rose mused.

"Nah. She wouldn't remember any. There's too much, her head would blow up." The Doctor began to walk around the room, circling the octagonal platform. Rose followed him. "The brain's the processor. As soon as it closes, she forgets."

"So, what about all these people round the edge?" Rose asked.

"They've all got tiny little chips in their head, connecting them to her and they transmit 600 channels. Every single fact in the empire beams out of this place." The Doctor returned to the front of the room and leaned against the railing again, next to Adam. "Now, that's what I call power."

Rose walked back to Adam.

"You alright?" She asked.

"I can see her brain." The boy said.

"Do you want to get out?"

"No... no. This is technology, it's... it's amazing."

"This technology's wrong." The Doctor said. Sierra nodded next to him. Rose and Adam looked at them.

"Trouble?" Rose asked.

"Oh yeah." The Time Lord smiled to her. Rose smiled back in a satisfied sort of way.

"Were you already afraid that we wouldn't get in any troubles?" Sierra teased. Rose didn't get a chance to reply when there was a slight shuddering sound, and Suki twitches. She gasped and lifted her hands off the pad like she had just gotten an electric shock. The other members of staff were now forced to lift their own hands too, and the lights in the walls turned off. The compressed information stopped streaming into Cathica and the door in her head closed. Suki was rubbing her hands and breathing heavily.

"Come off it, Suki, I wasn't even halfway, what was that for?" Cathica glared.

"Sorry, must've been a glitch..." Suki said quietly. Cathica stood up. Suddenly a loudspeaker sounded over the room and a projection sprung to life on the wall.

"_Promotion."_

"This is it. Come on. God, make it me. Come on, say my name." Cathica downright prayed. The time-travelers looked at her with mild concern. "Say my name, say my name..."

"_Promotion for... Suki Macrae Cantrell." _The words flashed on the projection. Suki's mouth dropped open. Cathica looked gutted._ "Please proceed to Floor 500."_

Suki stood up and stared at the projection like she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"I don't believe it... Floor 500..."

"How the hell did you manage that? I'm above you!" Cathica yelled to Suki.

"I don't know, I just applied on the off-chance... and they've said yes!" Suki was excited.

"That's so not fair, I've been applying to Floor 500 for three years!"

"If I were you I'd be happy to stay here, sound and safe." Sierra told her but no one listened except the Doctor who frowned.

"What's Floor 500?" Rose asked the Doctor.

"The walls are made of gold."

"Everyone wants to go there but no one has actually told what it's like in there." Sierra said.

"Why not?" Rose was puzzled.

"Because no one comes back once they have gone up."

* * *

The Doctor, Rose, Sierra and Cathica stood by the lift to say goodbye to Suki.

"Cathica, I'm gonna miss you! Floor 500..." Suki babbled and said then to the Doctor. "Thank you!"

"I didn't do anything!" He lifted his hands up.

"Well, you're my lucky charm!"

"All right! I'll hug anyone!"

Suki giggled as the Doctor hugged her. Cathica was looking pointedly and stubbornly anywhere but at Suki. Sierra in the other hand looked at her sadly. Suki was another one she wouldn't be able to save.

"Oh, my God, I've got to go; I can't keep them waiting-." Suki picked her bag. "I'm sorry! Say goodbye to Steve for me." She stepped into the lift. The Doctor and Rose smiled.

"Good luck, Eva. I wish I could help you." Sierra called, her hands deep in her jeans pockets. Suki gave her an alarmed and confused look. The lift doors closed.

"Bye!" Suki said one more time and waved to them. The Doctor and Rose waved back cheerily. Cathica looked away sourly.

"Good riddance." The woman said.

"You're talking like you'll never see her again. She's only going upstairs." The Doctor stated. Yes, he remembered what Sierra had told them but he wanted to hear it from the locals too.

"We won't. Once you go to Floor 500 you never come back."

The Doctor looked at the closed lift doors, brow furrowed. Then he turned around and followed Cathica to the canteen area.

"Have you ever been up there?" He asked.

"No. You need a key for the lift, and you only get a key with promotion. No one gets to 500 except for the chosen few."

* * *

They entered to the Spike room.

"Look, they only give us twenty minutes maintenance, can't you give it a rest?" Cathica asked, obviously annoyed at them and the lack of promotion.

"But you've never been to another floor? Not even one floor down?" The Doctor asked and settled himself comfortably in the 'spiking chair'. Rose leaned on the back of it and Sierra sat down on the platform.

"I shouldn't be walking this much." She sighed.

"I went to floor 16 when I first arrived. That's medical, that's when I got my head done, and then I - I came straight here. Satellite Five - you work, eat and sleep on the same floor. That's it, that's all." The woman eyes them suspiciously. "You're not management, are you?"

"At last! She's clever!" The Doctor clapped his hands in joy.

Cathica just looked at them but said then. "Yeah, well, whatever it is, don't involve me. I don't know anything."

"Don't you even ask?"

"Well, why _would_ I?"

"You're a journalist! Why's all the crew human?" the Doctor almost cried in expiration.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Cathica frowned.

"There's no aliens on board. Why?"

"I don't know - no real reason, they're not banned or anything."

The Doctor looked around the room theatrically. "Then where are they?"

"I suppose immigration's tightened up. It's had to, what, with all the threats." Cathica tried to find reasons.

"What threats?" Sierra arched her eye brows. the woman in front of them was completely lost.

"I don't know... all of them. Usual stuff. And the price of space warp doubled so that kept the visitors away..." The three watched her intently. "Oh, and the government on Traffic Five's collapsed, so that lot stopped coming, you see... just... lots of little reasons, that's all."

"Adding up to one great big fact. And you didn't even notice." The Doctor pointed out.

"Doctor, I think if there was any kind of conspiracy, Satellite Five would have seen it. We see everything."

"I can see better: this society's the wrong shape. Even the technology." The Doctor told her.

"It's cutting edge!" Cathica argued.

"It's backward! There's a great big door in your head! You should've chucked this out years ago."

"So, what do you think is going on?" Rose interrupted.

"It's not just this space station, it's the whole attitude. It's the way people think. The great and bountiful human empire is stunted. Something's holding it back."

"Sierra you said that this is the place where the information can be tampered, remember? Back at the canteen area." Rose turned to look at the other girl.

"Yeah, when something is concentrated on one place the possibility of the thing getting tampered and modified somehow is bigger. My guess would be that the big things here. The big controlling things are going on in the floor 500. The place with the walls of gold. The place everyone wants to go but no one comes back to tell what is in there. Something is in there and the workers are kept up there to keep it in secret. Who knows are they even alive anymore…" Sierra explained. "Which means that Suki is in danger."

"Are you going to do something then?" The Doctor looked at her.

"Yeah, back in time a bit and bringing her here then." Sierra made a move towards her watch but before she could touch the screen, the narrow light blue and wider gold streams bursted out. She looked at them and when they touched her, she was gone. There wasn't even the 'zap' sound anymore.

"That was different." The Doctor mused.

"What was that?" Cathica asked. "And how would you know about all this?"

"_That_ was time-travel and trust me: humanity's been set back about 90 years - when did Satellite Five start broadcasting?"

"91 years ago..."

The Doctor nodded. Cathica looked away thoughtfully.

* * *

Sierra got on her feet and looked around. It was freezing in there.

"The walls are definitely not made of gold…" She muttered and walked towards the voices she could hear in the eerie silence.

"Ah, hidden behind a genetic graft, but that's still you. Eva San Julienne. Last surviving member of the Freedom Fifteen! Hmm, self-declared anarchist, is that right?" A male voice said. The Editor. Sierra stopped by the door way, out of their range of sight. Suki was pointing a gun at the Editor. Her voice had changed from what it had been at the lower floor - it is now harsh and cold.

"Who controls Satellite Five?" She demanded. Looking shocked, the Editor raised his hands slowly in the air. Then he bursted out laughing and lowered them.

"There's the truth!" He cackled.

"The Freedom Foundation has been monitoring Satellite Five's transmissions. We have absolute proof that the facts are being manipulated. YOU are lying to the people." Suki told him

"Ohh, I love it. Say it again."

"This whole system is corrupt." Suki took a step towards him the gun ready. "Who do you represent?"

"I'm merely a humble slave. I answer to the Editor in Chief."

"Well, who is he? Where is he?"

"He's overseeing everything. Literally everything."

Suki narrowed her eyes.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to have to refer this upwards." The Editor clicked his fingers and pointed upwards. The roaring voice was heard from above. Shivers went down Sierra's spine. Suki immediately pointed her gun at the ceiling instead of the Editor.

"What is that?" She asked.

"Your boss. This has always been your boss. Since the day you were born." The Editor told her. Sierra bolted out from her hiding place right on the moment when the creature bore down on Suki. Suki screamed but Sierra got a hold on her and the streams embraced the two, sending them away.

* * *

Golden streams appeared in the middle of the Spike Room and revealed Sierra and Suki. The woman was clinging onto the girl and shivering.

"Sierra, Suki." Rose ran to them. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine but I think Suki is a bit traumatized." Sierra pried Suki's hands off her shirt gently. "Hey, Eva, we are safe. We are back in the floor 139." She whispered to the woman who opened her eyes and looked around the room in confusion.

"But… How? I…" She stuttered as she saw the Spike Room, Rose, the Doctor and Cathica.

"What was in the floor 500?" Cathica asked.

"A giant creature. It was called the Editor in chief." Suki answered.

"Who called it that?" The Doctor continued the question stream.

"The Editor. He was a human though. I don't know. There were frozen people too."

* * *

After some planning they were off, walking towards the control room of the floor 139. Cathica was anxious.

"We're _so_ gonna get in trouble." The woman said. The Doctor was scanning the side of a door with the Sonic Screwdriver, Rose and Sierra standing behind him. Cathica went over to him while Suki was checking their back in the case someone would come to snoop their doings.

"You're not allowed to touch the mainframe, you're gonna get told off." The woman continued.

"Rose, tell her to button it." The Doctor said.

"You can't just vandalise the place, someone's gonna notice!" Cathica whispered. The Doctor just wrenched the door open and went to mess around with the mainframe. "This is nothing to do with me. I'm going back to work." Cathica began to walk away.

"Go on then! See ya!" The Doctor said cheerily. Cathica stopped.

"I can't just leave you, can I?"

"If you wanna be useful, get 'em to turn the heating down. It's boiling. What's wrong with this place, can't they do something about it?" Rose suggested.

"I don't know, we keep asking - something to do with the turbine."

"'Something to do with the turbine'." The Doctor mocked.

"Well, I don't know!"

"I give up on you, Cathica. Now, Rose - look at Rose." Rose turned round, smiling. "Rose is asking the right kind of questions."

"Oh, thank you." Rose said and Sierra snickered.

"Why is it so hot?" The Doctor voiced the thought that was going on in their heads.

"One minute you're worried about the Empire and the next it's the central heating!" Cathica huffed.

"Well, never underestimate plumbing. Plumbing's very important."

"It was freezing in the upstairs. In the floor 500." Suki remembered suddenly.

"Really? Interesting… Let's see…" The Doctor had now successfully managed to hack into the mainframe. He turned the screen to Cathica and Suki.

"Here we go - Satellite Five. Pipes and plumbing. Look at the layout."

"This is ridiculous. You've got access to the computer's core. You can look at the archive, the news, the stock exchange... and you're looking at pipes?" Cathica huffed, bemused.

"But there's something wrong. And confirming what Suki told us."

"I suppose..."

"Why, what is it?" Rose frowned.

"The ventilation system. Cooling ducts, ice filters, all working flat out... channeling massive amounts of heat _down_." Cathica told as she observed the computer screen.

"All the way from the top." The Doctor stated.

"Floor 500." Sierra nodded.

"Something up there is generating tonnes and tonnes of heat. My guess is that it's the creature you saw, the Editor in chief." The Doctor said.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I feel like I'm missing out on a party. It's all going on upstairs. Fancy a trip?" Rose asked.

"You can't, you need a key." Cathica protested.

"Keys are just codes, and I've got the codes right here. Here we go - override 215.9."

"How come it's giving you the code?"

The Doctor looked up at a security camera. Sierra followed his gaze.

"Someone up there likes me." He said.

"I think that someone wants to meet us." Sierra laughed.

* * *

The lift doors opened on Floor 139. Rose, Sierra and the Doctor stepped into it. Cathica stopped outside. Suki stood next to the woman.

"Come on, come with us!" Rose told them.

"No way!" Cathica said.

"Bye!" The Doctor waved.

"Well, don't mention my name. When you get in trouble, just don't involve me!" She stalked off.

"I'll stay with her… Just in case. And two down here is better than one. I doubt I would be may use anyways… The bullets doesn't work on the creature." Suki said and went after Cathica. "Good luck." She called over her shoulder.

"The same for you Eva." Sierra waved.

"And thank you Sierra."

"That's them gone. Adam's given up. Looks like it's just you two and me." The Doctor said to Rose and Sierra.

"Yeah." Rose smiled.

"I think this is how it's supposed to be. Just us three." Sierra stated. She whole-heartedly agreed with that opinion. Adam was just a waste of space who couldn't understand the importance of not modifying the timelines. Jack was nice and he could've stayed with the Doctor but someone was needed to protect the Earth and watch after the Rift and Cardiff 24/7. Mickey in the other hand… Sierra didn't really have an opinion on him. He had his strengths and faults.

"Good."

"Yep." Rose agreed. They grinned at each other. The Doctor slotted a card into the controls, and grabbed Rose's hand as the doors closed. Sierra looked at their hands for a second and didn't say anything.

"By the way, Sierra… Why did you call Suki Eva?" The Doctor asked as the lift went upwards.

"'Cos that's her name. Eva San Julienne. Last surviving member of the Freedom Fifteen, self-declared anarchist. I heard it while waiting for the right moment to rescue her."

"What's Freedom Fifteen?" Rose asked.

"Hmm… What did she say… 'The Freedom Foundation has been monitoring Satellite Five's transmissions. We have absolute proof that the facts are being manipulated.'" Sierra quoted.

"But you also called her with that name a moment before she went to upstairs." The Doctor pointed out.

"Ah… That's because the long and-…"

"…'complicated story that you are not telling us'. Yeah, we know." Rose grumbled.

"Well, yeah. But think that maybe I…" The doors opened and interrupted Sierra. The Doctor stepped out and the girls followed him.

"The walls are not made of gold. You should go back downstairs." The Doctor quipped as he observed the surroundings.

"Tough." Rose replied.

"As if." Sierra muttered and strode onto Floor 500. The coldness numbed the pain in her leg slightly and made it easier to walk. The Doctor watches her for a moment and followed then with Rose.

They found themselves in the Editor's room, where he was watching the screens.

"I started without you. This is fascinating. Satellite Five contains every piece of information within the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. Birth certificates, shopping habits, bank statements, but _you_ three... you don't exist!

The Doctor and Rose looked right back at him. He laughed. Sierra scoffed and looked upwards. There is was. The EiC. The wobbly mass of something.

"Not a trace! No birth - no job - not the slightest kiss. How can you walk through the world and not leave a single footprint?"

"Well, how far did ya look for? Last 91 years only? You should've looked even further. Beyond the last 18 000 years." Sierra smirked. Next to her Rose noticed the frozen people at the screens and rushed over to one of them, a young male immediately.

"Hey, you okay?" The blonde kneels next to him, but he did not respond. "Hello? Can you hear me? What've you done to them?"

"I think they're all dead." The Doctor said gravely.

"He's working..."

"They've all got chips in their head, and the chips keep going. Like puppets."

"Ohhhh! You're full of information! But it's only fair we get information back, because apparently, you're no-one." The Editor laughed. The Doctor merely nodded. "It's so rare not to know something. Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter, 'cause we're off. Nice to meet you." The Doctor addressed to Rose and Sierra then. "Come on." He was about to leave but two of the Drones restrained him. Rose tried to get up, but the frozen corpse grabbed her arm. Sierra took a step back and reached inside her backpack she had turned into a belt bag this time. She caught a wooden handle and was ready to pull the rest of the object out and fight.

"Tell me who you are!" The Editor yelled.

"Since that information's keeping us alive, I'm hardly gonna say, am I?" The Doctor said sarcastically.

"Well, perhaps my Editor in Chief can convince you otherwise." The Editor smiled in a sinister way.

"And who's that?"

"A thingy that slightly resembles the Nestene Consciousness, except with teeth." Sierra answered and backed next to Rose.

"It may interest you to know that this is _not_ the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. In fact, it's not actually human at all. It's merely a place where humans happen to live." The Editor continued to smile. Some angry noise was heard. "Yeah- sorry. It's a place where humans are allowed to live by kind permission of my client." He snapped his fingers and pointed upwards at the creature in the ceiling. It was a huge, slobbering lump of an alien with sharp, snapping teeth.

"What is that?" Rose asked nervously.

"You mean that thing's in charge of Satellite Five?" The Doctor asked.

"That 'thing' - as you put it - is in charge of the human race." The Editor told them. "For almost a hundred years, mankind has been shaped and guided, his knowledge and ambition strictly controlled by its broadcast news. Edited by my superior - your master - and humanities guiding light - the mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe. I call him Max."

The Doctor smiled sarcastically and nodded.

* * *

Cathica and Suki were walking fast along the corridors of the floor 139. After a short stop at the hacked computer, they headed to the lift. The floor 500 was waiting for them.

* * *

The Doctor, Rose and Sierra had been restrained with manacles. Sierra muttered loudly about her hurt leg. Thankfully she still could reach into her bag. She had let go of the wooden object and was now searching for her laser knife.

"If we create a climate of fear... then it's easy to keep the borders closed. It's just a matter of emphasis. The right word in the right broadcast repeated often enough can destabilize an economy... invent an enemy... change a vote..." The Editor was explaining.

"So, all the people on Earth are like, slaves." Rose accused.

"Well, now. There's an interesting point. Is a slave a slave if he doesn't know he's enslaved?"

"Yes." The Doctor said.

"Oh. I was hoping for a philosophical debate. Is that all I'm going to get? 'Yes'?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, for example in the ancient Greece and Rome there were many slaves. Some of them were treated badly, some well. Some got whipped, some were taught to read. All of them didn't even think themselves as slaves, yet they all were. Only when their master decided to free them, they were no more enslaved." Sierra told. The Editor laughed, right at her face.

"You're no fun." The man said. Yep, he was insane.

"Let me out of these manacles - you'll find out how much fun I am." The Doctor growled.

"Oh, he's tough, isn't he. But, come on. Isn't it a great system? You've got to admire it, just a little bit."

"You can't hide something on this scale. Somebody must've noticed." Rose pointed out.

"From time to time, someone, yes. But the computer system allows me to see inside their brain... I can see the smallest doubt - and crush it." The Editor grinned.

"Freedom Foundation and Eva. You gave her the promotion so you could turn her into a lifeless robot, a puppet and then one more person of the resistance would be out of your way." Sierra said in disgust but smirked then. "Too bad I managed to save her."

In the room behind them the lift doors opened and Cathica and Suki stepped out. Suki had her gun ready. The two women could hear the Editor talking to his prisoners.

"…And then they just carry on, living their life. Strutting about downstairs and all over the surface of the Earth like they're _so_ individual."

The Doctor spotted the two out of the corner of his eye. "When of course, they're not. They're just cattle. In that respect, the Jagrafess hasn't changed a thing."

"What about you? You're not a Jagra... uh... a..." Rose struggled with the word.

"Jagrafess." Sierra said helpfully. She had finally found her knife.

"Jagrafess. You're not a Jagrafess. You're human."

"Yeah, well simply being human doesn't pay very well." The Editor shrugged.

"But you couldn't have done this all on your own."

"No! I represent a consortium of banks. Money prefers a long-term investment. Also, the Jagrafess needed a little hand to um... install himself."

"No wonder, a creature that size." The Doctor remarked. Cathica, still hiding, spotted the Jagrafess on the ceiling. Suki had been staring it the whole time. "What's his life span?" The Time Lord asked in interest.

"Three thousand years."

"That's one hell of a metabolism generating all that heat. Which's why Satellite Five's so hot. You pump it out of the creature, channel it downstairs - Jagrafess stays cool - stays alive. Satellite Five is one great big life support system."

"But THAT'S why you're so dangerous. Knowledge is power, but you remain unknown." The Editor laughed and clicked then his fingers. The manacles sent an electric shock through the three. "Who are you?"

The Doctor grimaced in pain. "Leave them alone. I'm the Doctor, they're Rose Tyler and Sierra Adler. We're nothing, we're just wandering."

"Tell me who you are!" the Editor shouted in manic rage.

"I just said!"

"Yeah, but who do you work for? Who sent you? Who knows about us? Who exactly-?" He stopped. The Doctor looked at the Editor, who was smiling now, questioningly. "Time Lord."

"What?" The Doctor managed to cover his shock just barely.

"Oh, yes! The last of the Time Lords in his travelling machine. Oh, with his little human girls from long ago..." The Editor was downright giddy. Giddy and manic at the same time. That wasn't a good combination. He touched Rose's face gently but she jerked her head away roughly. Sierra glared at him. She was angry, especially to Adam.

"You don't know what you're talking about." The Doctor said.

"Time travel."

"Someone's been telling you lies." The Doctor was also angry but he was also scared.

"Young master Adam Mitchell?" The Editor snapped his fingers once again and a projection of Adam, writhing with pain and shouting, the compressed information flowing into him, appeared in the air.

"Oh, my God - his head!" Rose gasped.

"What the hell's he done? What the hell's he gone and done?" The Doctor was mad.

"He wanted to know as much as possible about the future of humankind and went downstairs, floor 16, to get the chip or whatever installed into his head so he could get an access to the computers. With Rose's phone he's been sending it to home, to his answering machine. But as the information goes to one way it also goes to another." Sierra said dully.

"So they're reading his mind. He's telling them everything!"

"And through him, I know everything about you. Every piece of information in his head is now mine. And you have infinite knowledge, Doctor. The Human Empire is tiny compared to what you've seen in your T-A-R-D-I-S - TARDIS." The Editor giggled.

"You'll never get your hands on it. I'll die first."

"Die all you like. I don't need you. I've got the key." They saw how the Key slowly floated from Adam's pocket and dangled in front of his face.

"You and your boyfriends!" The Doctor shouted to Rose.

"Today, WE are the headlines. We can rewrite history. We could prevent mankind from ever developing." The Editor danced around the room.

"And no-one's gonna stop you. Because you've bred a human race that doesn't bother to ask questions. Stupid little slaves, believing every lie. They'll just trot right into the slaughter house if they're told it's made of gold." The Doctor snarled.

* * *

Cathica, who was still listening with Suki, seemed to reach some sort of understanding and decision. She turned around and pulled the other woman with her.

"What now?" Suki whispered.

"I need you to watch my back." Cathica entered the broadcasting room on Floor 500. She tossed the rotten corpse off the chair, and sat down in the vacated seat herself. "Disengage safety."

The walls around them light up. The heard the alarm going off in the Control Room.

"Maximum access. Override Floor 139." Cathica instructed the system. "And... spike!" The information flowed into her.

* * *

"Someone's disengaged the safety." The Editor was panicking. He clicked his fingers - the projection shows Cathica, the compressed information flowing into her brain, and Suki standing next to her. "Who's that?!"

"It's Cathica!" Rose recognized.

"And Eva!" Sierra grinned.

"And she's thinking. She's using what she knows!" The Doctor exclaimed happily.

"Terminate her access." The Editor told to one of the corpses.

"Everything I told her about Satellite Five - the pipes - the filters - she's reversing it! Look at that..." The icicles were beginning to melt. "It's getting hot."

"I said, terminate!" the Editor yelled and placed his own hands over the corpse's. "Burn her mind."

"Oh no you don't. You should've promoted me _years_ back." Cathica said and all the screens suddenly exploded with sparks, and the Drones fell lifeless on the floor. Rose's manacles came undone. Sierra pulled out her knife and cut her own.

"She's venting the heat up here. The Jagrafess needs to stay cool and now it's sitting on top of a volcano." The Doctor was explaining as the girls untangled themselves. The Jagrafess was roaring violently. The Doctor laughed.

"Yes! Uh... I'm trying, sir but - I don't know how she did it, it's impossible. A member of staff with an idea—." The Editor was telling the Jagrafess who roared angrily. The Editor pushes a corpse aside, and tried to operate the computer himself. Rose fumbled in the Doctor's jacket pocket for the Sonic Screwdriver, while the Jagrafess roared and snapped at them menacingly. Sierra tossed the knife to the blonde.

"Use this. Just push the button and be careful." She instructed and pulled the object with a wooden handle out of her bag. It was a cricket bat she had found one day while exploring the TARDIS. She swung the bat at the Jagrafess and managed to hit it on the face. The alien backed up a bit but resumed snapping.

A small explosion went off nearby, causing Rose to jump.

"Rose, hurry!" The blonde fumbled with the knife but got the blade out eventually. She cut the Doctor free.

"Oi, mate - wanna bank on a certainty? Massive heat in a massive body. Massive bang!" The Time Lord told the Editor with a huge grin on his face. He freed himself just as lumps of flesh started falling off the Jagrafess. Sierra shielded herself with the bat and smacked the lumps away.

"See you in the headlines!" The Doctor said cheerily and they ran. The body of the Jagrafess starts to pulsate horribly, glowing red.

They ran across Floor 500, avoiding the huge lumps of snow falling from the ceiling. Or in Sierra's case, hitting them away. They entered the Spike Room of the floor and found Suki helping Cathica off the chair. They all ran to the elevator.

* * *

They were sitting at the canteen area of the floor 139. The Doctor and Cathica were sitting at a table with Suki and Sierra, while Rose was leaning on the bar behind them.

"We're just gonna go. I hate tidying up. Too many questions. You'll manage." The Doctor explained.

"You'll have to stay and explain it - no-one's gonna believe me." Cathica pleaded.

"Oh, they might start believing a lot of things now. The Human Race should accelerate. All back to normal. And you have Suki helping you."

"Eva." Suki and Sierra corrected simultaneously. They looked at each other and laughed.

"Although I think I'll go with Suki from now on. I got used to it after all and everyone knows me by it. But I can still contact the Freedom Foundation to help us in this." The woman smiled to Cathica. "By the way, are you a member of Freedom Foundation? You knew my name after all." She asked Sierra.

"Nah. I just happen to know things. A lot of things. Some things that I'm not even supposed to know and some things I can't change. But there's still things I can." She smiled to the woman and stretched her leg. "Ouch, I almost miss the upstairs. It eased the pain." She grimaced.

"Where did you get the bat?" Rose asked.

"Ah, I found it from one room in the TARDIS. This belonged to Fifth I guess. I would have wanted a wooden baseball bat but in the end this worked better." Sierra tapped the cricket bat on the bench next to her, leaning against the table. The Doctor watched at her for a moment but didn't say anything. Rose in the other hand was puzzled who the hell was 'Fifth'.

"What about your friend?" Cathica asked suddenly, eyeing Adam who was leaning against the TARDIS.

"He's not my friend." The Doctor said, standing up and marching in Adam's direction.

"Now, don't—." Rose started but the Doctor ignored her.

"Don't bother Rose. He screwed up and bad time. He doesn't need our sympathies." Sierra said and got up too, taking support on the table. "I guess I'm banned from walking for a long time…" She sighed and limped after Rose and the Doctor. "Bye." She waved to the two women.

"Bye, Sierra." Suki waved back. They all could see how Doctor shoved Adam inside the TARDIS, ignoring him completely.

* * *

While the Doctor was lecturing Adam at the boy's home and Rose just watching, Sierra rested her leg and sat on the captain's seat. The cricket bat was leaning against it at her hands reach. She once again was looking at her watch. It had worked on its own accord, taking her to exact place she needed to be, even without coordinates. Just like…

A hum from the center console interrupted her thoughts. Sierra looked up.

"No way…" The golden streams bursted out from the console and the blue ones from the watch. She could just watch them to dance around each other and the console room. The TARDIS door opened and the Doctor stepped in with Rose. They stopped dead at the sight.

"Wha-?" Rose started but the Doctor shushed her. A grin spread on his face. The first happy grin after Adam had been shoved in to get him here.

"Fantastic." The streams faded away. Sierra was staring the ceiling in bewilderment.

"Doctor… Is this what I think it is?"

"Yup. TARDIS gave a little gift to it." The Doctor walked closer, bouncing in the way. The TARDIS hummed contentedly. Rose followed him, completely confused.

"So that's why I didn't need coordinates." Sierra more asked than stated.

"Yup. Although for some occasions they are needed. Even I use coordinates with this girl." He started working with the console and they were dematerializing. "But long story short, TARDIS bonded with your watch. It is also and sentiment being now, needs refueling from the Rift time to time or then you just leave it here, on the console for couple of hours."

"I see. I better name him then." Sierra nodded.

"Him?" Rose repeated.

"Yup. Let me think… It's a watch in the other words a time piece. What about… Timmy?" Sierra looked at the watch and from her delighted expression, the Doctor judged that the Vortex Manipulator agreed with her. "By the way… If something happens to TARDIS, does it also affect Timmy?"

"What do you mean?"

"Paradoxes, manipulating, other universes…" Sierra trailed off, thinking about Father's Day, The Sound of Drums and Pete's World.

"Possibly. And while we are talking about stories… Do you have something to tell us?" The Doctor asked and flipped another switch. "You said something like that at the elevator."

"Oh, yes. I need to tell you something. About me… You see, when I said I was from the future, it wasn't the whole truth…"

* * *

**A/N: Dun dun duuunn! Nihihihiii! Cliffie, huh? What did you think about the chapter overall? Let me know, the next chapter comes next Tuesday/Wednesday.**


	8. The Holmeses

**A/N: Hello, I decided to make an exception on my schedule and post this chapter today. I'm sure everyone has been wating for this. The reason why I'm diond this though is that I won' be able to access on my computer from Saturday to Tuesday. On Wednesday I'll get it back though and then I'll update too.**

**This chapter hopefully clears many things that have been puzzling you. And on other note, Sierra won't be in all adventures with Rose and the Doctor. She'll have some own adventures and even adding some extra chapters in future(series three, I guess).**

**But now enough of my babbling, let's get to the story!**

* * *

**8. Holmeses  
(The Father's Day)**

"_And while we are talking about stories… Do you have something to tell us?" The Doctor asked and flipped another switch. "You said something like that at the elevator."_

"_Oh, yes. I need to tell you something. About me… You see, when I said I was from the future, it wasn't the whole truth…"_

* * *

"Not the whole truth? What do ya mean?" Rose asked.

"I…" But before Sierra could continue, her cell phone rang. Puzzled, she took it out of her pocket, thinking who an earth would call her. Unless it was… Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw the caller's ID. Her own name. With a sigh she pressed the answer button. "How come you manage to contact me on the most inconvenient times?"

"_Because I know exactly when to call. And with a little of Jack and Torchwood 3 it's absolutely possible."_ Sierra's older self told her. There was a pause and then she heard her older self talking to someone on the background. _"No, Jack, I will not give you a kiss as thanks. A hug yes, but not a kiss."_

"Right… What do you want this time?" Sierra looked at the Doctor and Rose watching her intently and sighed.

"_So, you are really going to tell them then?"_

"Yeah, I trust them fully and I want that they are able to trust me too. And that requires me to tell them about this issue of mine… of ours."

"_And I forbid you of telling…"_ The voice in the other end of the line sighed. _"Well, you are just like me then. I also told them by this point of time, after my older self had called me. Some things just don't change…"_

"And you are now in the same situation than she was back then?" Sierra smiled. "Wait a min… Last time you said that the next time you are contacting me is by 'Game Station'… Or then the situations just change."

"_Yeah, saying exactly the same things and listening you to say the same things than I did back then… Time has flown even though it isn't carved on the rock. I feel old."_

"Tsk."

"_But yeah, I'm giving you my blessings of telling them. But one thing."_

"More restrictions, right?"

"_Well, yeah. Do not touch the Pete's World. Don't go there with Doc, Rose and Mickey, don't take part on the Father's Day and don't stop the events of Canary Wharf."_

"I know all that. I had no intention of-."

"_Hey, calm down girl. I know that. I just reminded you."_ There was a beep on the background and some voices. _"Gotta go now. The time is out. Rift Calls are not easy."_

"'Kay. Bye."

"_Bye. Good luck you."_

"Thanks." The call ended and Sierra closed her eyes with a sigh.

"Who was it?" The Doctor asked with a frown.

"My older self from future. She decided to remind me not to screw up things in this universe." It was easiest just to blurt out the situation. The other two just gawked at her.

"In this universe?"

"Yeah, I am from another universe… another dimension, another world, depends how you want to put it. In my world this universe is merely a TV series started in the early sixties, stopped in the late eighties and continued on the year 2005 and now extremely popular. A TV series telling about an alien named the Doctor travelling through the time and space with his blue box."

"And we are supposed to believe that?" Rose snorted.

"How come not? There's another planets with aliens in them so why not parallel worlds too? I've watched this series quita lot and that's why I knew so many things about you two without hearing them from anyone else. And since I'm from the year 2015, it means the series has gone ten years already…"

"So you know also our future." The Doctor nodded thoughtfully, his arms crossed on his chest. "Is that why you didn't let me further than 2010… back then…?"

"Yeah, I started watching the series in 2013 so I couldn't risk you to know about your personal future. And _I_ am not going to mess with the future either. I assure you about that. There are even some places I don't want go or I can't go. I fix little things, prevent unnecessary deaths but I don't touch the fixed points."

"What have you done this far then?" Rose frowned. She was not going to let this go this easily.

"Let's see… At the end of the world, Jabe was meant to pull the lever down at the ventilation chamber. She burned and died because she was a tree. Or De Maggio. If I hadn't jammed her gun, the Dalek would've killed her." Sierra said sadly. "I'm not trying to save everyone but some people…"

"I'm guessing you don't know how to get home." The Doctor walked around the console and sat against it, right in front of Sierra.

"No, I don't. I don't even know how I got here. But I guess that whatever was the gateway has closed by now or opens and closes in pulses or something…"

"So you are stuck." Rose said flatly.

"Basically, yeah."

"Well, that explains the human yet non-human stuff." The Doctor grinned and got up.

"Definitely!" Sierra laughed.

"Thanks for telling us about this."

"You are welcome. But… didn't this go too easily? I mean… I just told you that I'm from another world and know your past and future."

"Well, of course it will be something to get used to but there shouldn't be any problems if you are not telling us about the future, right?"

"Ye-yeah."

"But I'm going to keep an eye on you though."

"Of course." Sierra nodded still a bit overwhelmed by the trust the Doctor showed her.

"You'll do just fine. And the Tardis likes you, that tells something." The Doctor grinned. Sierra smiled back. "Now, where to? Any ideas?"

* * *

"That's what mum always says. So, I was thinking... could we? Could we go and see my dad when he was still alive?" Rose asked. It was a few days from the 'revelation'.

"Where's this come from, all of a sudden?" The Doctor asked.

"All right then, if we can't, if it goes against the laws of times or something, then never mind, we'll just leave it." Rose shrugged and sat next to Sierra on the captain's chair. Sierra noted the blonde was eyeing her warily.

"No, I can do anything. I'm just more worried about you." The Doctor said quickly.

"I wanna see him."

"Your wish is my command. But be careful what you wish for." He started to work with the console. Sierra got up slowly and grabbed her backpack.

"If you are going there, it means I gotta go." She said.

"Why?" Rose frowned.

"It's your dad, Rose. Your adventure. Your private moment. I don't want to spoil it. And I want to test Timmy a bit."

"Where are you going to go then?" The Doctor asked while he worked with the Tardis.

"London 2010. Something fun to do."

"Jumping off the buildings again?"

"Well, yeah. By the way, can I still borrow this?" Sierra held the cricket bat above her head with her left hand.

"Sure, just don't break it. I might not like cricket in the same scale than before but it's still a memory."

"A memory like that horrendous technicolor raincoat in the wardrobe? And yes, I did see it."

"It's a memory." Came the reply.

"Ooo-kay." Sierra stuffed the bat into her backpack and threw it on her back. "See ya at some point of time." The gold streams bursted out as she tapped the coordinates and she was gone.

* * *

Trafalgar Square, there she was again. The year was right. And the date was the 16th September. A nice autumn breeze blew on her face and through her hair. Sierra grinned and started to look around. What would be the most appropriate building to jump off and then vanish?

Three hours later Sierra was standing atop and in the middle of the Tower Bridge. It was high enough and very public place. And no one should be able to see her face if they happened to film it. "Okay, Timmy, no gold streams this time."

'_Bleep'_

"Good that you understand. Landing coordinates…" Sierra tapped them in. "…Set. Okay, three… two… one…" She stretched her arms on her sides and leaned forwards.

She was falling again. The adrenaline rushed through her as the surface of the Thames came closer and closer to her. The people at the both sides of the Thames were screaming and pointing her. Some were photo'ing, some taking videos. But Sierra didn't see or hear any of these. She was too far from them but she did know it was happening.

'_Zap'_ She heard the familiar voice once again and was already going elsewhere. She spiraled through the Vortex and eased her breathing but noticed then that something was wrong. "Shit. The paradox and reapers! Tardis problems and all!" Sierra realized and was thrown off the course.

* * *

She landed hard on the asphalt and her injured leg gave in. To be accurate, she appeared a meter or two off the ground and was dropped down.

"Ouch!" She exclaimed after the bad landing. For her luck no one was near to see her appearing out of thin air. At least she couldn't see anyone. Sierra spared a glance on her watch. At least the time was right. But the place was definitely wrong. She was right in front of some buildings. Pushing herself on a sitting position, Sierra observed the buildings around her with narrowed eyes. They seemed a bit familiar…

"Oh, gosh no!" Sierra's eyes widened in recognition. She was right in front of 221 Baker Street! The place where Sherlock freaking Holmes lived! Sierra shook her head in disbelief. Of all the places she'd end up to.

"Hey, are you alright?" Someone hurried up to her and crouched next to her. A male, Sierra heard from the voice. It was eerily familiar. Wait a sec… Her head turned quickly to look at the speaker. Of course… If she was at Baker Street in this world, she was bound to meet up with Doctor John Hamish Watson.

"Ye-yeah. I'm fine." Sierra stuttered. She shot a wary look at the man who was walking towards them. Sherlock Holmes himself. _The_ Sherlock Holmes. Sierra tried to get up hastily but the pain in her leg forced her down. "I think I twisted my ankle…" She lied and grimaced.

"Lie." Sherlock said and stopped right behind John. "Your leg has been injured a long time ago already and it wasn't twisted."

"Yeah, I think I know that myself." Sierra said dryly.

"Why to lie then?"

"To avoid stupid and unnecessary questions, Mr. Detective."

"You need to get into hospital." John sensed an oncoming banter ahead and decided to step in.

"No, no hospital. Absolutely not." Sierra shook her head firmly. "Besides you are a doctor, aren't you? You can patch me up. Or don't you have enough trust in your own abilities?" The last one Sierra said with a devious smirk. John stared at her. He hadn't even introduced himself and she knew he was a doctor. Was she…? "And no, I didn't deduce it or anything. I've just occasionally read your blog. Yesterday at Buckingham Palace, hmm? Must have been interesting but what was that talk about the ashtray?"

"In order to avoid questions you are doing remarkably bad job." Sherlock pointed out and with a whisk of coat he strode to the front door. "Okay, John, let's get her upstairs. She certainly has piqued my interest and I'm definitely asking some questions from her." He gave a smirk to Sierra who scowled.

"Right…" John sighed and lifted Sierra up easily, in the same bridal style than the Doctor had back in Utah. Sierra yelped at the sudden moment but clung onto John then. "You okay?"

"At the moment? Yes. After the third degree interrogation including insults and different sort of diving-in's to my past? Not so sure."

"I'll make sure he won't go too far." The ex-army doctor promised with a chuckle as he carried her up the stairs.

"Umm… I'm not that light, am I?" Sierra asked as she was placed on one of the arm chairs in front of the fireplace. Sierra looked around with a great interest. She just could believe she was there. She could see everything! The skull on the fireplace; the smiley face with bullet holes and behind her in the kitchen all those experiment tools. Thankfully none of the actual experiments were on display.

"What? No, you were just fine. I'll go to get my kit and then check your leg." John left the living room and Sierra was left alone with Sherlock who occupied the chair opposite her. The detective's grey eyes with some green tint in them were trained on the girl and her every movement. Sierra stared back calmly. She wasn't afraid of what he could possibly find. After all Mycroft had already deduced her once and even he didn't find anything that could possibly hurt her. And no one could even blackmail her since her family and majority of friends were in the other world and she was most of the time with the Doctor and Rose at god knows where and when.

Their staring contest continued for a couple of minutes in silence. All the time until John came back.

"Sorry for the wait, I had placed this to a wrong place. Or then Sherlock had moved it." The man said and Sierra broke the eye contact with Sherlock, blinking rapidly. "Err… what was that?"

"A staring contest. Did you see that?" Sierra replied brightly.

"Yes, I did. But why?"

"Just because…" The girl shrugged. "Observe. Many people see but don't observe. Isn't that right Mr. Detective?" Sierra flashed a smile to Sherlock who didn't reply by any other means than an eye roll. She shrugged again, and slipped her boot off and rolled up her jeans leg. The bandage over the bullet wound was slightly bloodied again. Probably from all the running back at Satellite Five and then the bad landing. And bloodstain was perfectly round which made John frown.

"I got shot." She said simply. It was pretty obvious by now anyways. "And if you tell anyone I won't hesitate of using a cricket bat on you two."

"A cricket bat? But you don't even…" John didn't finish his sentence as Sierra arched her eye brows. "Okay, I won't tell."

Sherlock snorted.

* * *

Mycroft glanced at the camera footages he had been given. Someone had jumped off the Tower Bridge and disappeared in mid-fall. He sighed. Of course she'd appear now. Mycroft leaned back in his chair. He needed to find this girl but unfortunately he had no idea where to look or was she even at this point of time anymore. And what point of timeline she was going on. _He_ had met Sierra Adler for a few times since the Slitheen but he didn't know how many times _she_ had met him. The troubles of timetravel. The elder of the Holmes brother's sighed deep. All that trouble that had been and that was still going on. The Sycorax, The Canary Wharf, Harold Saxon and The Year that Never Was, the Titanic crash, Adipose, Poison Sky, The Prisoner Zero's case and the Planets on the Sky… At Mycroft's time it was the Eleventh Doctor going on with his companions Amelia Pond and Rory Williams but for Sierra Adler it might as well be still the Ninth one and Rose Tyler. And he still had no information about the girl herself. She had told him that she was from another universe during the events of Canary Wharf and he believed her. After all he had seen the alternative version of Rose Tyler's father who was dead in this universe. But it didn't mean the lack of information wouldn't frustrate him. There was nothing about Sierra Adler expect a decades-old UNIT file with only one mention of her and nothing relative after that.

"Complicated… Complicated…" Mycroft turned to take a look at the cameras at his younger brothers flat. To his surprise – and Mycroft Holmes didn't get surprised easily – he saw a sandy-blond girl sitting on the armchair opposite Sherlock. Mycroft chuckled. Of course she'd find her way there.

He got up from his chair. "Anthea, get the car. I am going to pay a little visit."

* * *

Sierra's leg was carefully bandaged now and she was going through her backpack. There should be something useful in there. For example… Tea! Nice green tea from the Azores. She had asked the Doctor to take them there sometime before the Dalek case.

"Aha!" Sierra fished the box of tea out of her bag. Her whole arm had sunk in while she had been looking for it. "Shall we make some tea?" She asked brightly.

"You are not telling us your name yet you suggest making tea?" John asked incredulously. Sherlock didn't say anything; he just wore an amused expression on his face. This girl was interesting. And the most interesting was that he couldn't find anything about her.

"Well, yeah." Sierra gave the box to the doctor. "Try this, it's really good. I would make it myself but I'm not stepping into _that_ kitchen." She jerked her thumb over her shoulder to the direction of the men's kitchen.

"Good choice." John muttered and went to the pointed direction to make some tea.

"So… what have found out this far?" Sierra placed her hands on her lap and smiled mysteriously to the detective.

"Nothing much." Came the reply.

"Really? I find that hard to believe. Surely you have found at least _something_."

"You are a traveler. Your backpack is everything you need because you are moving fast from one place to another. Your shoes are fairly new but already worn a lot. Running. So, you bought them recently but have used them ever since. Probably right after your little _accident._" Sierra scowled as Sherlock referred her being shot as an accident.

"And?" She egged Sherlock on. The detective hadn't been entirely wrong yet. She had picked the shoes up from the Tardis's wardrobe.

"Despite your travelling you have good relations with your family but… haven't been in contact with them for a long time. You took a great interest on your surroundings which means home isn't unfamiliar term for you in a positive way. You have a brother who specializes with electronics and you are constantly asking him for help even though he is younger than you."

"Am I travelling alone or with someone?"

"Two people. You are far too social to travel alone although you get sidetracked easily and wander off on your own. You feel like a third wheel so I guess they are a man and a woman. Not a couple though."

"Not yet." Sierra snorted.

"The rest of your clothes are also fairly new. Something you usually wear since you are already comfortable in them. During your travels you most likely have gained more confidence which clearly visible in your behavior and making you seem like you know everything what's happening around you.-"

"Tea is ready." John called, interrupting the detective's speech. Sierra sighed in relief. "Here."

"Thanks." The girl took the offered tea cup but got up from the chair then. She didn't feel like being right in front of Sherlock anymore.

"You okay? You shouldn't be on your feet yet." John asked.

"I'm fine, just giving you your chair back." Sierra waved him off and walked to the window behind Sherlock. She took a sip from the cup and sighed contentedly.

"You pushed too far." John said quietly and angrily to Sherlock.

"No, I didn't even scrape the surface." The Detective replied.

"That's right." Sierra said as she saw a car with tinted windows stop right in front of the house. She smirked. It had been only a matter of time. "He deduced a lot but nothing that would have any value to him. For example he couldn't say where I'm from or how I'm travelling. He didn't say how old I am nor whether am I dating or not. He didn't say anything about my education level or job. There's lot of significant gaps in his deduction. Gaps he can't fill like a snap of fingers."

Sherlock grumbled something incoherent under his breath.

"We are having a visitor by the way." Sierra added. "Hmm… straight view from your chair to the door. You see and hear well how your visitors come in. Are they clients or police officers, friends or menaces…? You need to be ready to act even before they have stepped into the room. And if you are forced to sit in that other chair you are extremely uncomfortable."

Sherlock turned to look at Sierra. The girl met his gaze. There was something in the way she spoke. She didn't deduce, she just knew. And the way she tilted her head… The doorbell rang.

"Oh, there he comes." Sierra said brightly and her attention snapped to the door which was still closed. Sherlock turned back and muttered something unpleasant about the person who was now climbing up the stairs. The door opened.

* * *

"Evening." Mycroft Holmes greeted the people in the room while leaning against his umbrella.

"Hello, Mycroft. How's the Government?" Sierra asked before Sherlock could make a witty remark about the man's weight. John gaped at the girl.

"Like always. Which time this is for you?"

"Oh, just the second one. How about you?"

"I rather not to answer."

"Ah, I see. It's four years from the Slitheens by now, isn't it?" Sierra mused and sipped the tea. Sherlock followed the exchange quietly. Was this girl one of Mycroft's minions? No, she was far too casual for that. And what where 'Slitheens'?

"Umm… you know each other?" John asked.

"Isn't that obvious by know, John?" Sherlock drawled. "But what I'd like to know is that who is she, Mycroft?"

"So you didn't find out on your own?" Mycroft gave an amused and superior smirk to his brother.

"I didn't even tell them my name." Sierra said from the window. "Dammit, my cup is empty…" She limped her way to the kitchen.

"Injured again I see." The elder Holmes pointed out.

"Again? What do you mean 'again'? This is the second time only. The first time was about a year ago for me when I burnt my palms." Sierra asked as she poured more tea for her.

"When are you then now?"

"Not even the Harriet Jones's resignation." Sherlock and John exchanged a glance. Neither of them had any idea about what was going on. Harriet Jones had resigned three years ago already.

"I see… But you _do_ know what is going to happen?"

"Yes, I do but I don't know how my presence will affect the events… Wait a min… How much do you actually know about me? And what do those two…" Sierra waved the tea pot to the direction of the flat residents. "…know about _things_ in general?"

"Things?" John asked.

"Yup!"

"Who are you?" Sherlock asked in his impolite and straightforward way as he finally had grown frustrated over the fact he couldn't have figured out.

"My name is Sierra Adler."

"Adler?" John blurted out.

"Yup, just like Irene Adler but I'm much younger and cooler." Sierra danced her way back to the living room and sat on the floor, her legs crossed. "This is the second time I've introduced myself like that." She grinned happily. "By the way, Mycroft I bet that since our first meeting you have put me under surveillance level something and told Anthea to get as much information about me as possible… but pray tell me. Have you found anything?"

"Nothing. But you did tell me why it was like that."

"Oh, did I? Or should I ask will I? When will I tell that?"

"Christmas Invasion. Second meeting."

"Going to the third one to me then." Sierra mused.

"Would you finally tell us what are you talking about?" Sherlock cried in frustration.

"Whoa, we managed to make him lose his cool… What's their security status?"

"Your secret it is. And it's not like they haven't seen anything. The same than the rest of the world."

"Okay. Tell me then, gents… What do you know about aliens?"

"Aliens? You mean like the time when the planets were on the sky and those… Daleks were around?" John asked.

"Yup! You see I travel in time with a couple of friends. We go all over the space and time." Sierra told enthusiastically.

"And we are supposed to believe that?" Sherlock drawled. He was interested but didn't want to admit it.

"Yeah. You surely have seen a lot of weird stuff. For example when the alien space ship crashed into Big Ben and a few days later a missile hit 10 Downing Street. That was… four years ago, right?" Sierra glanced Mycroft who nodded. "We two were there a moment before the missile hit."

"All the papers said it was just a hoax." John said skeptically.

"And on the day before the crash, I jumped off the Mark's Electronics and survived. Today I jumped off the Tower Bridge… and I'm still alive."

"And do you have any proof for that?" Sherlock enquired.

"A tabloid about the jump… Mycroft has all kinds of footage about my today's stunt… And… Oh, right!" Sierra flipped her phone open(it's Lumia 620, you 'flip' the locking scene open) and opened the Web. "Like I mentioned before, I occasionally read your blog, John. Yesterday you posted the most recent entry about the Buckingham Palace and Irene Adler. I suppose it was a hell of a long entry but I have never read it how it originally was because it was modified afterwards… Here." She gave her phone to the baffled blogger.

"Due to the clients involved, thanks Mycroft, I've had to delete the rest of this post. Needless to say, it was quite the adventure.  
And I'm sure it won't be the last time we hear the name Irene Adler. In fact, I'm pretty certain he's getting texts from her. It's funny, in the time I've known him, I've never seen him take the slightest interest in a woman but this one... She's got to him." John read aloud. It was definitely his writing style.

"Yes, I'd really appreciate if you'd modify the original a bit." Mycroft said. "It was another reason I was coming here."

"Liar…" Sierra muttered under her breath. Sherlock smirked to her, agreeing wholeheartedly, but focused then on her phone.

"That's not in markets yet or even marketed."

"Nope, that's from 2013. I, personally, am from 2015." Sierra smiled and took her phone back. "Do you believe me now?"

"Suppose we have to…" John mumbled. He was feeling slightly dizzy about this.

"What was that tabloid you were talking about?" Sherlock asked. Sierra shrugged her backpack off her shoulders and dug up the paper. On the way she put several over items on the floor: a couple of shirts, a book, three notebooks, wallet, a cricket bat and five different broken electronic devices.

"Here, I got on the front page back then." She gave the paper to the detective and re-packed her bag then. John just stared.

"How-?"

"I did tell you I have a cricket bat." The girl grinned. "My back is bigger on the inside. Just like the Tardis."

"Tardis?"

"The time-machine-spaceship-hybrid we use for our travels."

"Since we are talking about it… Why aren't you with them now?" Mycroft asked.

"They went to the 7th of November 1987. That's the day when Rose's father died. They are going to cause a paradox and take a hell lot of time to fix it. I didn't feel like tagging along this time. And Rose needs some space." Sierra moved her legs and pulled her knees up to her chin and placed her teacup on her right knee.

"I see."

"I hope they'll pick me up though. My Vortex Manipulator threw me off the course an hour ago. I was meant to land to Tower Hill instead of this street." She sighed and leaned back until she was lying on the floor, the cup still upright. "I'm bored." She stated then, staring the ceiling dully.

* * *

Minutes passed and Mycroft left eventually. Some busy Government businesses he had to do or something. Sierra had fallen asleep on the floor and John had had to remove the cup before it fell off her knee. Sherlock in the other had had seized the opportunity of taking a closer look on her backpack and how it could be bigger on the inside. In no time he had found the button that changed the appearance on the bag and almost broken it.

Suddenly a weird screeching noise filled the air and Sierra's eyes snapped open. She bolted upright and snatched her bag back from the detective. Despite her irritation a smile crept on her face.

"It seems my ride is here." She told as the blue police box materialized on the space between the kitchen table and John's chair. Both habitants of 221B Baker Street could just stare the process. Even Sherlock was speechless but – unlike John – his mouth didn't hang open. Sierra grinned at their surprised faces. The door of the police box opened and the all familiar face of the Doctor peeked out.

"Hello! It seems you've got company." He grinned.

"Yup, these are Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John Watson." Sierra introduced the two men.

"Are they really? Then it means that this is 221B Baker Street!"

"Yeah. How's Rose?"

"Just fine. Bit down actually but quite alright."

"Excuse me but who are you?" John got up.

"Ah, right. I'm the Doctor." The Time Lord stepped out of the phone box and shook hands with John. Sherlock eyed him skeptically.

"Doctor who?" The Detective asked.

"Just the Doctor. You can also call me John Smith but I use it only for situation when a name is actually needed."

"And that box…?" Sherlock got up now too and walked slowly around the Tardis.

"This is the Tardis. It stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space." Sierra tapped the side of the box fondly. The Doctor glowered her.

"I was supposed to introduce her…" He crumbled.

"Sorry, I got first." Sierra smiled. She wasn't sorry at all though.

"Anyways, we need to go now. I promised to Rose that we wouldn't be here too long." The Doctor strode into the Tardis.

"Okay!" Sierra sang, following him. At the door she turned around. "You can take a sneak peek but be fast. We are leaving any second now."

Sherlock and John looked inside the box immediately and saw the big space of the console room and the Doctor and Sierra at the console. John had to take a few steps backwards immediately.

"It's… it's bigger on the inside." He stuttered.

"Obviously John. The name already told it." Sherlock remarked dryly and closed the door. The screeching noise started again and the box vanished out of sight. "That Doctor was an alien himself too."

"What?"

* * *

**A/N: Here ya go! What did you think? Please review. If you don't I'll sick Mycroft's surveillance cameras on you. Have a good weekend!**


	9. Are you my mummy?

**A/N: I'm here! And I'm not dead! And guess what? Jaaaack! I just love him. Honestly, who doesn't? And now we are going to meet him! Yay!**

**Have fun and let me know what you thought about this chapter.**

* * *

**9. The Blitz, a creepy child and a new friend**

Sierra frowned at her watch on the console. Timmy was still feeling a bit off after the paradox on Father's day. And it had been weeks by now. Tardis was naturally alright since she was older and bigger and the original while Timmy… Well, he was reflecting things happening to her. And recovering slower from them.

"So, where are we going today then? Is anything interesting possibly non-dangerous going on somewhere in this galaxy?" Sierra asked. When the Doctor was about to answer, the lights flared up and an alarm went off. They all looked up and then at the lights. Rose was the first one to speak.

"What's the emergency?" She asked.

"It's mauve." the Doctor answered and started rushing around the console. Rose and Sierra gripped the edges of it as the TARDIS shudders and shakes.

"Mauve?" The blonde repeated.

"The universally recognized colour for danger." Sierra explained. "Violet is for distress."

"What happened to red?" Rose frowned. She still had some troubles of trusting the other girl after the 'from-another-world-revelation'.

"That's just humans. By everyone else's standards, red's camp. Oh, the misunderstandings. All those red alerts, all that dancing." The Doctor told her and gestured to the picture of the object they were following through the Time Vortex on the monitor. "It's got a very basic flight computer - I've hacked in, slaved the TARDIS. Where it goes, we go."

"And how safe is it?" Rose asked skeptically.

"Totally."

"As if." Sierra snorted. And right on cue part of the console exploded. Sierra saved Timmy and strapped him around her wrist again.

"Okay, reasonably. Should have said reasonably there." The Doctor admitted and scratched the back of his head a bit. Then he focused on the monitor again. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no! It's jumping time tracks - getting away from us."

"What exactly is this thing?"

"Something suspicious." Sierra suggested lightly. Rose shot her a look which told clearly that she was the suspicious one there.

"No idea." The Doctor, oblivious to the girls' silent exchange, grinned.

"And why are we chasing it?"

"It's mauve and dangerous. And about 30 seconds from the centre of London. Here we go!"

* * *

The TARDIS materialized behind some bleak looking houses in London. Rose exited, followed by the Doctor and Sierra.

"Do you know how long we can knock around space without having to bump into Earth?" The Time Lord sighed.

"Five days? Or is that just when we're out of milk?" Rose thought aloud.

"Of all the species in all the universe and it has to come out of a cow." The Doctor pouted. Sierra chuckled at his expression. "Must have come down somewhere quite close. Within a mile, anyway. And it can't have been more than a few weeks ago. Maybe a month." The Doctor continued as they walked away from the Tardis.

"A month?! We were right behind it!" Rose was shocked.

"It was jumping time tracks all over the place; we're bound to be a little bit out. Do _you _wanna drive?"

"Just like when you tried to track me while I jumped forward." Sierra nodded mostly to herself.

"Yeah... how much is 'a little'?"

"A bit."

"Is that _exactly_ a bit?"

"Ish."

"It depends the scale you are comparing it to." Sierra pointed out.

"What's the plan, then? Are you gonna do a scan for alien tech or something?" Rose asked. She obviously had decided to ignore Sierra at all costs. The girl in question sighed. The Doctor casted a worried look on her but didn't comment.

"Rose, it hit the middle of London with a very loud bang. I'm gonna ask." He showed Rose the psychic paper.

"'Doctor John Smith, Ministry of Astroids'." The blonde read from it.

"Psychic Paper, tells you…"

"Whatever you want it to tell me, I remember." The girl sighed with a slight smile on her face.

"Sorry."

"Not very Spock, is it? Just asking?" Rose smirked amusedly. She and Sierra were watching the Doctor trying to get through a door.

"Door - music - people. What d'you think?" He asked.

"I think you should do a scan for alien tech."

"And I think he is going to embarrass himself." Sierra added as the Doctor held the Sonic Screwdriver to the door.

"Gimme some Spock! For once, would it kill ya?" Rose huffed.

"Are you two sure about those t-shirts?" Sierra looked down at her t-shirt. How convenient… She had picked up a Union Jack t-shirt, just like Rose had. Over it she had a soft brown pilot's jacket with a furry collar while Rose had more tight-fitting and darker colored jacket.

"Too early to say. I'm taking it out for a spin." Rose shrugged. The Doctor continued trying to open the lock with the Sonic Screwdriver. Sierra leaned against the wall and crossed her hands on her chest. Her leg still ached slightly but now it was far from what it had been at the Satellite Five. Suddenly they heard an eerie voice. Rose whirled around.

"Muuuu-mmy?"

The both girls looked around for the source of the voice.

"Muuuu-mmy?" They heard again while the Doctor was completely oblivious about the voice. But he did manage to crack the lock.

"Come on if you're coming. Won't take a minute." He went through the door. Rose didn't follow him, but continued looking around for the child. After a slight hesitation Sierra pushed herself off the wall and followed her.

"Muuuuumy?"

"Rose, wait up!" Sierra skidded halt when Rose finally spotted the child standing on a roof-top and stopped.

"Doctor? Doctor? There's a kid up there!" The blonde called but the Doctor was already inside. Rose ran, Sierra on her heels, trying to find a way onto the roof while the child watched them.

After a while they ran up to the building on top of which the child stood.

"Are you all right up there?" Rose called to the child.

"Muuuuum-my?"

"That's so creepy. Really unlike any child." Sierra muttered but continued following the blonde who was now running up the steps that went up the side of the building. But the steps didn't go all the way to the roof-top. The child was standing dangerously on the edge.

"Mummy?"

"Okay - hold on! Don't move!" Rose called again. Sierra really wanted to tell her that the child was practically dead and they couldn't do anything for him yet but in the other hand she really wanted to meet Jack. The child was looking down at them. Suddenly a rope swung into sight, going up the side of the building seemingly to the rooftop. Rose took hold of it.

"Oh, that's so bad idea… This is even worse…" Sierra tied a loop to the end of the rope while Rose was climbing up the rope.

"Mummy..." The child said and Sierra stepped to sit in the loop, like it was a swing. Any moment now… "Balloon!"

Sierra looked up and saw Rose looking up too. They both saw that the rope was in fact hanging down from a barrage balloon which was drifting away, the girls high in the air with it.

"Doctor! Doctor! Doctor!" Rose shouted terrified.

"We are in trouble." Sierra called to the other girl. Rose looked down to see her sitting in the loop she had made moments earlier.

"You knew this, didn't you?! And didn't tell me!"

"Well, yeah. Didn't want to miss the flight." Sierra grinned. She looked ahead of them then. "Uh-oh… More troubles."

"Wha-!" Rose turned around to see the German planes dropping bombs on London. "Okay... maybe _not_ this t-shirt."

"We are in the same boat you know." Sierra zipped her jacket shut. "Not anymore!" She sang. The planes zoomed around them. "Well… target we still are…"

* * *

The Doctor emerged from the drinking den, slightly miffed by the people inside it. He vaguely remembered Sierra saying that he'd embarrass himself there and shook his head. Then a thought stroke him. Where was she? And Rose?

"Rose! Sierra!" He rounded a corner to where the TARDIS was parked. A cat was sitting on top a dustbin. The Doctor turned around and noticed it when it meows. He picked the feline up. "You know... one day. Just one day, maybe... I'm gonna meet someone who gets the whole 'don't wander off' thing."

He shook his head. Behind him, the TARDIS phone started to ring. Brow furrowed, the Doctor put the cat down, walked over to the TARDIS and opened the compartment behind which the phone was hidden. He stared at it. "How can you be ringing? What's that about? Ringing? What am I supposed to do with a ringing phone?" **(Sierra: "Answer it of course! That's why the phone rings!")**

"Don't answer it. It's not for you." A female voice told him. The Doctor turned towards the voice questioningly.

"And how do you know that?" He asked.

"'Cos I do. And I'm tellin' ya - don't answer it." The owner of the voice, a young woman, told him.

"Well, if you know so much, tell me this - how can it be ringing? It's not even a real phone. It's not _connected_, it's not-…" He turned back to see the girl had disappeared. The Doctor paused, confused, then looked back at the phone. He hesitantly picked it up and held it to his ear.

"Hello? …This is the Doctor speaking… How may I help you?"

"_Mummy? Mummy?"_

"Who is this? Who's speaking?"

"_Are you my mummy?"_

"Who is this?"

"_Mummy?"_

Silence.

"How did you RING here? This isn't a real phone, it's not wired up to anything, it's-."

"_Mummy?"_

The line went dead. The Doctor slowly replaced the phone in its cradle. He poked his head inside the TARDIS.

"Rose? Sierra? Are you in there?" Right on that moment the phone rang again. The Doctor pulled his head out of Tardis and yanked the phone on his ear again. "What!" He snapped.

"_Hey, no need to be so snappy."_ The relief almost flooded him as he heard Sierra's voice. But then another thought crossed his mind. Had Sierra called him earlier? But then there was that young woman who had known about the phone call… _"I guess you just had the freaky conversation with the mummy-kid. What a pun…"_ Sierra chuckled. The Doctor could hear wind and some other noise around her.

"Where are you? And Rose? Is she alright?"

"_We're both fine at the moment. Followed the freaky mummy-kid and ended up tangling from a barrage balloon. And now the planes are whizzing by… Don't you worry though, we'll be fine."_

"You are tangling from a balloon in the middle of London Blitz?!"

"_Yup! Uhh… Rose is in trouble… While I'm not-so-comfily sitting in a rope loop, she is hanging a bit above me. Thankfully she is strong. Gotta go now. I see if Rose could slide down to sit with me. Less dangerous then." _Sierra said brightly and hung up before the Doctor could say anything else. He stared to receiver for a moment before placing it back like he had done a moment earlier.

"How did she manage to call me?" There was a crashing sound from behind him. Closing the phone compartment, the Doctor ran to follow the sound. He hurried out of the alleyway, and into a street.

* * *

Rose was suspended hundreds of feet above London, carried by the rope hanging down from the barrage balloon. Sierra was looking at her worriedly from below. Suddenly the planes whizzed past them and Rose, exhausted from the tangling, lost her grip. She was falling with a scream. Sierra's eyes widened and before she could register, she leaned back, letting go of the rope, and grabbed the blonde girl by her wrists. In the impact she herself swung backwards until she was upside down, her feet up and Rose right below her. Recovering from the shock, Sierra grunted and tangled her legs around the rope above her. She was barely sitting in the loop anymore but thankfully the knot was holding.

"Always ready." Sierra sighed and Rose looked up to her. The blonde took a hold on the brunette's wrists so the hold was now steadier. "I used to be a scout girl." She laughed shakily and Rose joined in.

* * *

On a balcony couple of hundred meters from the balloon a uniformed man - Captain Jack Harkness – was peering up at Rose and Sierra through binoculars.

"Get those lights out please!" And officer said in a salon behind him. "Come on, down to the shelter."

A soldier approached Jack, who was still watching the girls through the binoculars. While Rose was faced away from him and the building, Sierra was looking straight at him.

"Jack? Are you going down to the shelter? Only, I've got to go off on some silly guard duty. Ah! Barrage Balloon, eh? Must've come loose. Happens now and then. Don't you RAF boys use them for target practice?" The soldier said. Jack zoomed in on Rose's bum. Sierra shook her head.

"Excellent bottom." Jack muttered with a grin. He saw Sierra mouthing him. _'A bit help please.'_

"I say, old man. There's a time and a place. Look - you should really be off." The soldier continued. Jack turned to face him.

"Sorry, old man." He laughed, going inside. "I've gotta go and meet a girl. Two actually. But you've got an excellent bottom too." He slapped the soldier's bottom on the way out to emphasize this point.

* * *

The planes were whizzing past them and there was an explosion right below them. Sierra barely noticed them. All blood was packing up in her head and her hands were getting sweaty. She did everything to keep Rose with her and safe but the other girl was heavy and Sierra herself wasn't very strong. Her vision was going blurry and she could feel how their hold on each other's wrist was slipping.

"Sorry, Rose…" Their sweaty hands slipped. Rose fell, screaming, while Sierra was hanging just barely from the rope loop. The brunette was unconscious and her legs weren't holding her up anymore. Right after Rose, Sierra slipped too and fell. Suddenly, a blue beam shot out from somewhere near Big Ben, and Jack's voice emited from the source.

"_Okay, okay, I've got you. Both of you."_ He told them, or rather to Rose since Sierra out of it.

"Who's got me? Who's got me, and you know... how?" Rose looked around. She was both surprised and scared. And worried for Sierra who was floating a bit below her.

"_I'm just programming your descent pattern. Keep as still as you can and keep your hands and feet inside the light field. And take a hold on your friend's hand. She doesn't seem too well."_

"Descent pattern?" Rose frowned and reached for Sierra's right hand. It wasn't an easy task since she had to stay inside the forcefield.

"_Oh, and could you switch off your cellphone?"_

Rose snorted and grabbed Sierra's limp wrist. She was relieved to feel the steady pulse under her fingers.

"_No, seriously - it interferes with my instrument."_

"You know, no-one ever believes that." Rose took her phone with her free hand and turned it off.

"_Thank you. That's much better."_

"Oh, yeah, that's a real load off, that is. I'm hanging in the sky in the middle of a German air raid with the Union Jack across my chest and my friend is unconscious, but hey! My mobile phone's off!" Rose ranted almost hysterically. Jack laughed.

"_Be with you in a moment."_

* * *

"_The mobile communication device indicates non-contemporaneous life form."_ The computer told the captain.

"She's not from around here, no. How about the other girl?" Jack asked.

"_Nothing noted."_

"C'mon, she is bound to have something with her. Phone? Anything?"

"_Nothing noted."_

* * *

"_Ready for you. Hold tight!"_

"To what?!" Rose shouted but squeezed Sierra's wrist tighter.

"_Fair point." _Rose zoomed feet first down the tunnel of blue light, screaming.

* * *

Inside the cockpit of Jack's ship Rose was caught by Jack. Sierra fell on the floor but didn't wake up. Rose had let go of her wrist by surprise when she had been caught.

"I've got you!" Jack grinned. Rose coughed. "You're fine, you're just fine. The tractor beam, it can scramble your head just a little."

Suddenly Rose seemed to notice how good-looking he actually was. She stared at him.

"Hello." She said breathlessly.

Jack raised his eyebrows and looked her up and down. "Hello." He answered.

"Hello." Rose said again. Jack raised his eyebrows again and nodded. "Sorry, that was hello twice there. Dull, but you know, thorough."

"Are you all right?" Jack asked this time.

"Fine!" Jack set Rose back on her feet. Rose grinned at him. "Why, are you expecting me to faint or something?"

"Well, you do look a little dizzy..."

"What about you? You're not even focused... oh boll-…" The blonde girl fainted on his arms. Jack laughed and lifted her onto a bed. Then he crouched next to Sierra. She seemed okay, except for the obvious fact she was unconscious. What puzzled the man was that she had stared right at him back then and asked for help. And that she obviously had a phone in her pocket. Jack tilted his head. That jacket… Had he seen it somewhere before? Shaking his head he picked the girl's limp body up and placed her next to Rose.

Rose woke up and got off the bed. Sierra stirred a bit at the bed movement behind her but didn't wake up, just let out a small noise. Rose looked around at her surroundings.

"Better now?" Jack asked.

"You got lights in here?" Rose asked. The man turned them on from his pilot cheat. Another sound from Sierra, a protesting one, was heard. Jack chuckled and greeted them.

"Hello."

"Hello." The blonde greeted back.

"Hello." Jack smiled. A pillow flew at him but he caught it before it hit his head. Sierra was up now and sleepily glaring her surroundings behind Rose while still sitting on the bed.

"Let's not start that again." Rose smiled and turned to look at Sierra. "You okay?"

"My leg didn't like being upside down…" The brunette muttered and rubbed her eyes with her left hand. Rose smiled. She hadn't seen the other this sleepy on the mornings. Sierra had always gotten up so early. Jack laughed and tossed the pillow back. It hit the target and Sierra toppled backwards on the mattress. The brunette mumbled something that sounded like curses neither of them understood.

"Okay." Jack smiled. Rose pulled down her t-shirt self-consciously and took a few steps towards him.

"So, um... who're you supposed to be, then?" She asked.

"Captain Jack Harkness. 133 Squadron Royal Airforce - American Volunteer." He handed her what would appear to be an ID card. Rose looked at it.

"Liar." Sierra called from the bed. Rose nodded. Jack paused.

"This is psychic paper. It tells me whatever you want it to tell me." Rose smirked. Jack sat back.

"How do you know?" He frowned.

"Two things. One - a have a friend who uses this all the time." Rose continued smiling. Jack opened his mouth in a small 'ah'. "And two - you just handed me a piece of paper telling me you're single and you work out."

Jack leaned forward to take the 'ID' back. "Tricky things, psychic paper."

"Yeah - can't let your mind wander when you're handing it over." Sierra was finally on her feet and walked to them while Rose handed the paper back to Jack who read it aloud.

"Oh, you 'sort of' have a boyfriend called Mickey Smith but you consider yourself to be footloose and fancy free."

"Wha-…" Rose laughed. Sierra chuckled too.

"Actually, the word you use is 'available'." Jack clarified.

"No way..."

"And another one - 'very'."

"Maybe we could try to get along without the psychic paper?" Sierra suggested quickly. Rose had stood up.

"That would be better, wouldn't it?" Jack got also up from his seat.

"Nice spaceship." Rose noted then.

"Gets me around." Jack nodded. Rose ran a hand along the ceiling.

"Very... Spock." She looked at him for a sign of recognition.

"Who?" Jack frowned. Sierra chuckled.

"C'mon. Ever watched or even _heard_ of Star Trek?"

"Guessing he's not a local boy, then." Rose told her.

"A cell phone, a liquid crystal watch, and fabrics that won't be around for at least another two decades... guessing you're not a local girl." Jack told Rose after taking a look on his wrist device. Rose sat down on the pilot's seat and examined the spaceship. Sierra merely leaned against the nearby wall and smiled slightly.

"Guessing right." Rose mused.

"And you…" Jack took a look on Sierra. "You have stuff with you but they are not registering in any way."

"Thanks." The brunette said sarcastically.

"No, I didn't mean…"

"I know that. Heck, sometimes I'm not even registering as a human…" Sierra shook her head. Jack looked at her, confused. "Don't worry, I am. A human. Other stuff is just kinda complicated."

Rose tried to touch something but withdrew her hands quickly, gasping with pain. Her hands had burn marks on them. Sierra winced, remembering when her hands were burnt.

"Burn your hands on the rope?" Jack asked.

"Yeah." Rose took a look out of the window. "We're parked in midair! Can't anyone down there see us?"

"No. Can I have a look at your hands for a moment?"

Rose sat back down. "Why?"

"Please?" Jack sat next her. Rose held her hands out and he ran a scanner over them. "You can stop acting now. I know exactly who you are. I can spot a Time Agent a mile away."

"Time Agent?" Rose asked, puzzled.

"I've been expecting one of you guys to show up. Though, not, I must say, by barrage balloon. Do you often travel that way?"

"Sometimes I get swept off my feet. By balloons." Rose smiled to him. Sierra rolled her eyes. Why the blonde had to flirt so much? Jack took his scarf off and wrapped it around Rose's wrists.

"What're you doing?"

"Try to keep still." Jack advised as he finished binding her hands. He leaned over her to switch a button over her head. They caught each other's eye, very aware of their proximity. Sierra looked pointedly to the other way. There was a bleeping sound, what look like tiny golden fireflies appeared above the wounds on Rose's hands. Some of them even wrapped themselves Sierra's still sore leg. "Nanogenes. Sub-atomic robots. The air in here's full of them."

Rose looked pleasantly amazed when the nanogenes worked their magic on the burns on her hands. Sierra also sighed in relief as the pain went away from her leg for good finally. Jack switched the button again, and the nanogenes disappeared.

"They just repaired three layers of your skin." The man told Rose and took the scarf off her wrists.

"Well, tell them thanks!" Rose laughed. Jack got up, smiling.

"We'll get down to business."

"Business?"

Jack was now holding a bottle of champagne. "Shall we have a drink on the balcony?" Holding her gaze, he pressed a button and steps to the roof lowered themselves into the spaceship. Jack started to go up the stairs. "Bring up the glasses." He called.

When he emerged on top of the invisible spaceship, he uncorked the bottle. Rose, looking slightly unsteady, ascended the steps. Sierra was right behind her, holding a couple of glasses. Sierra looked around and took a deep breath. They were parked right in front of Big Ben.

"I'm standing on something..." Rose laughed nervously. Jack chuckled and then took a device out of his pocket. He flicked a switch and his spaceship appeared under their feet. "Okay... you have an invisible spaceship..."

"Yeah..."

"Tethered up to Big Ben for some reason..."

"First rule of active camouflage. Park somewhere you'll remember." Jack pops the cork out of the bottle with a loud bang. Rose whooped and Jack laughed along with Sierra. The captain filled up their glasses Sierra was holding.

* * *

The three of them were sitting on top of the spaceship, drinking the champagne. Sierra was feeling slightly light-headed. She didn't usually drink much. If at all. Rose stood up.

"You know, it's getting a bit late. We should really be getting back." She told Jack.

"We're discussing business." He said back.

"This isn't business. This is champagne." Rose smiled.

"I try never to discuss business with a clear head." Jack stood up too and walked towards Rose. "Are you travelling alone with her?" He nodded towards Sierra who was feeling a bit drowsy. "Are you authorized to negotiate with me?"

"What would we be negotiating?" Rose asked and crossed her arms on her chest.

"I have something for the Time Agency. Something they'd like to buy. Are you in power to make payment?"

"Well, I - I should talk to our... companion."

"Companion? Her?" Jack asked and glanced at Sierra who shot him a halfhearted and sleepy glare.

"No, some other. We should really be getting back to him."

"Him?"

"Do you have the time?" Rose laughed. Jack, clearing his throat, took the device out of his pocket and flicked a switch. Big Ben chimed right next to them. "Okay, that was flash. Th-that was on the flash side."

Jack moved closer to Rose and placed his hands on her waist. "So... when you say 'companion', just how disappointed should I be?"

"Okay... we're standing in midair..." Rose started.

"Mm-hm."

"On a spaceship... during a German air raid... Do you really think now's a good time to be coming on to me...?" Her voice faltered slightly as Jack raised her hands and touched them with his lips gently. Upon her words, Jack took his lips away and patted her hand. Sierra decided to slip back inside while she was still somewhat conscious. She descended the stairs and flopped back on the bed she had woken up from some time ago. She could hear 'Moonlight Serenade' playing. In no time she floated into the dreamland but not before she had set an alarm waking her up in an hour. She didn't want to miss anything crucial but she needed to be sober for that.

* * *

After a time Sierra wasn't sure, someone was shaking her from her shoulders. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked wearily into Rose's brown ones.

"Wha?"

"We are going now. Found the Doctor." The blonde explained to her.

"Right." Sierra nodded and was about to roll around to continue her sleep.

"No, you don't! You are coming with us."

"Mmh… Tired."

"Just c'mon." Rose pulled her hand until Sierra fell off the bed.

"Ouch!"

"Awake now?"

"Yeah… How long time I was out?" Sierra rubbed the back of her head and got on her feet.

"Half an hour… give or take." Rose shrugged. The girls walked to Jack who was waiting for them.

"Albion Hospital, right?" Sierra asked, racking her memory for details.

"Yeah, we are here." Jack nodded.

* * *

It was one of the man corridors of the hospital. The Doctor emerged from a room. He met Rose, Sierra and Jack coming from the other way of the corridor.

"Good evening. Hope I'm not interrupting - Jack Harkness." Jack shook the Doctor's hand. "I've been hearing all about you on the way over."

"He knows. I had to tell him about us being Time Agents." Rose explained to the Doctor who nodded.

"And it's a real pleasure to meet you, Mr Spock." Jack patted the Doctor heartily on the shoulder, and walked off, leaving the Doctor looking rather bemused. When the captain was out of hearing range, Sierra bursted out laughing.

"Mr Spock?" The Doctor repeated.

"What was I supposed to say, you don't have a name! Don't you ever get tired of 'Doctor'? Doctor who?" Rose huffed.

"Nine centuries in, I'm coping. Where've you been? We're in the middle of a London Blitz; it's not a good time for a stroll."

"Who's strolling? I went by barrage balloon. Only way to see an air raid." Rose started walking, still snickering Sierra following. "And for the record, we both almost died. And would have if Jack hadn't been there."

"What?!" He had heard that they had been tangling from the balloon but getting almost dead took the Time Lord off guard.

"Listen, what's a Chula warship?" Rose asked then.

"Chula?" The Doctor stopped.

* * *

They rushed to the ward where Jack was scanning one of the bodies.

"This just isn't possible. How could this happen?" He was mumbling.

"What kind of Chula ship landed here?" The Doctor asked him.

"What?"

"He said it was a warship. He stole it. Parked it somewhere out there, somewhere a bomb's gonna fall on it - unless _we_ make him an offer." Rose explained.

"What kind of warship?" The Doctor asked again, anger seeping into his voice.

"Does it matter? It's got nothing to do with this!" Jack snapped.

"It has everything to do with this. It's at a bomb site where this everything started." Sierra gestured around. Fresh air had done miracles to her and cleared her head completely. "So, what kind of warship it was?"

"An ambulance!" Jack flicked his wrist device. "Look." A hologram of the warship appeared above the device. "That's what you chased through the Time Vortex. It's space junk. I wanted to kid you it was valuable. It's empty. I made sure of it. Nothing but a shell. I threw it at you. Saw your time travel vehicle - love the retro look, by the way, nice panels - threw you the bait-…"

"Bait?" Rose interrupted.

"I wanted to sell it to you and then destroy it before you found out it was junk."

"You said it was a _war_ ship."

"They have ambulances in wars." Jack started to walk away from them. "It was a con. I was conning you - that's what I am, I'm a con man. I thought you were Time Agents but you're not, are you?"

"Just a couple more free-lancers." Rose shrugged.

"Ahh... should've known. The way you guys are blending in with the local colour - I mean, Flag Girl was bad enough, but U-Boat Captain?" Jack gestured at their clothes. Sierra smirked.

"That's what you get by assuming things, Union _Jack_." She unzipped her jacket, revealing her t-shirt. Jack shook his head amusedly while both Rose and the Doctor looked uncomfortably at their clothes.

"You are still a mystery though." Jack stepped closer to Sierra. They were almost chest to chest now. She held his gaze calmly.

"Human, yet non-human. That's how a describe myself. And I have also a wrist device you know." She showed her wrist watch. "His name is Timmy and he's smart. Unlike your Vortex Manipulator."

"You know what this is?"

"I do."

"How?"

"Not telling." Sierra smirked and took a step back then. Her head cleared slightly. Had she just been flirting with him? Had it been the pheromones? The 51st century pheromones?

"Anyway... Whatever's happening here has got _nothing_ to do with that ship." Jack looked at the Doctor and Rose.

"What _is_ happening here, Doctor?" Rose asked suddenly, looking around.

"Human DNA's being rewritten... by an idiot." The Time Lord told her.

"What d'you mean?"

"I dunno - some kind of virus. It's converting human beings into these things." He nodded at the bodies. "But why? What's the point?"

"To create a herd of zombies. I mean mummies." Sierra chuckled. The Doctor glared at her.

"You know something, don't you?"

"Naturally."

Rose bended over one of the bodies, examining it, when it suddenly sat up. All the others did the same. Rose jumped backwards. They all started saying "mummy?" repeatedly. Sierra bit back an urge to scream.

"What's happening?" Rose asked.

"I don't know." The Doctor said as the gas-mask people all began to get out of bed and slowly to enclose the four of them. "Don't let them touch you."

"I think that's kind of obvious." Sierra said.

"What happens if they touch us?" Rose asked.

"You're looking at it." The Doctor and Sierra said simultaneously. The gas-mask people still chanted 'mummy' as they backed the four of them against a wall. They were trapped.

**To be continued…**

* * *

**A/N: Dun dun duunnn! Cliffie once again! Although it was expected sice this is a two episode adventure. :)**

**As you probably noticed, Rose didn't in the start like Sierra much. It was because finding out how much Sierra had actually lied about herself and felt betrayed. But now after Sierra saved her life, she is able to trust her again. But naturally, knowing them both, there will be more issues between them.**

**See you on the next week! And please review.**


	10. Everybody lives!

**A/N: Hi, everyone! I'm here again. I want to thank you all who has reviewed, faved and subscribed. Thank you very much!**

**My school is starting tomorrow which means I'll have less time to write. The chapter will continue coming up once a week until this fic/first series is over. Then I'll start the second series as a new fic(thus part one). That one probably will update once in every two weeks since I haven't written much of chapters yet and my matriculation examination is coming up. But don'tyou worry though, I try not to lo9se my interest with this. :)**

* * *

**10. Everybody lives. Just this once. Everybody lives!**

The gas-mask people were surrounding Rose, Sierra, the Doctor and Jack. Then - the Doctor stared sternly around at them.

"Go to your room." He said like he was addressing to a disobedient child. Nevertheless the gas-masked people hesitated. "Go to your room!" He said again. The gas-masked people cocked their heads to one side. Rose and Jack looked at one another while Sierra looked at the Doctor. While watching this episode back home she had had troubles to get how the Doctor had managed to do it but now when she was there… She understood it completely. All that authority that surrounded the Time Lord and coated his every word at the moment. "I mean it! I am very, very angry with you. I am very, VERY cross! Go - to - your - ROOM!"

He pointed violently in no particular direction, and miraculously, all the gas-mask people turned meekly away. Sierra slid on the floor as her legs gave out in relief. She hadn't been that terrified in ages. Even when she counted the encounter with the Dalek in. To be honest, she'd rather be exterminated than being turned into a gasmask zombie.

The patients and staff in the hospital climbed back onto their beds and the Doctor sighed with relief too. "I'm really glad that worked. Those would've been _terrible_ last words."

"And that's all you were thinking at the moment." Sierra laughed shakily. Rose sank on the floor next to her and the girls wrapped their arms around each other. After the barrage balloon and now those zombies, they couldn't do anything else than cling into each other.

* * *

Rose was sitting by one of the beds, looking at one of the gasmask people. Jack settled down in another chair nearby. Sierra was sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall.

"Why are they all wearing gas masks?" Rose asked into the thoughtful silence.

"They're not. Those masks are flesh and bone." Jack said.

"How was your con supposed to work?" The Doctor asked.

"Simple enough, really. Find some harmless piece of space-junk... let the nearest Time Agent track it back to Earth. Convince him it's valuable, name a price. When he's put 50% up front - oops! A German bomb falls on it, destroys it forever. He never gets to see what he's paid for. Never knows he's been had. I buy him a drink with his own money, and we discuss dumb luck. The perfect self-cleaning con." Jack explained with a shrug.

"Yeah. Perfect." The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"The London Blitz is great for self-cleaners - Pompeii's nice if you want to make a vacation of it though, but you've got to set your alarm for volcano day." Jack laughed at his own joke. The Doctor merely looked at him and his laughter died away. "Getting a hint of disapproval."

"Take a look around the room. This is what your 'harmless piece of space-junk' did."

"It was a burnt-out medical transporter - it was empty." Jack said in defensive manner. The Doctor looked darkly at him and walked off.

"Rose. Sierra."

"We getting out of here?" Rose asked and got up.

"We're going upstairs." Rose followed him. Sierra scrambled on her feet too. Jack got up and called after the Doctor.

"I even programmed the flight computer so it wouldn't land on anything living - I harmed no-one! I don't know what's happening here, but believe me - I had nothing to do with it." He was saying.

"I'll tell you what's happening. You forgot to set your alarm clock. It's volcano day." The Doctor didn't even bother to turn around. Sierra glanced at Jack.

"What he is saying is that the 'space-junk' you got here wasn't empty." She told him.

A siren went off in the distance.

"What's that?" Rose asked.

"The all-clear." Jack answered.

"I wish." The Doctor muttered. They left the ward.

* * *

Rose and Jack were running down a corridor looking for the Doctor. Sierra had also disappeared somewhere.

"Mr Spock?" Jack called.

"Doctor?" Rose called. They dashed past a flight of stairs. The Doctor popped his head around the banister.

"Have you got a blaster?" He asked. Rose and Jack skidded to a halt and backtracked.

"Sure!" Jack grinned. They ran up the stairs and found themselves standing outside a door.

"The night your space-junk landed, someone was hurt. This was where they were taken." The Doctor explained.

"What happened?" Rose asked.

"Let's find out." The Doctor said and turned to Jack then. "Get it open."

Jack grinned and pointed the blaster at the door. The Doctor stood back, beside Rose.

"What's wrong with your Sonic Screwdriver?" The girl whispered.

"Nothing." Jack's blaster cut a perfectly square hole around the lock of the door and it squeaked open.

"Sonic blaster, 51st century. Weapon Factories of Villengard?" The Doctor asked.

"You've been to the factories?" Jack asked back, curious. The Doctor took the blaster from Jack for a look.

"Once." He stated.

"Well, they gone now. Destroyed. The main reactor went critical. Vapourized the lot."

"Like I said - once. There's a banana grove there, now. I like bananas. Bananas are good." The Doctor gave the blaster back with a pleasant smile at Jack and entered the room. Rose went up to Jack.

"Nice blast pattern."

"Digital."

"Squareness gun."

"Yeah."

"I like it." Rose went into the room. Jack laughed and followed her then.

* * *

Sierra jumped when a hole appeared on the wall next to her. She stared at the three of them who scrambled through it. The Child was approaching them from inside the room. Jack grabbed his sonic blaster from the Doctor.

"Give me that!"

"Are you my mummy?"

Jack pointed the blaster at the wall and it rebuilt itself, blocking the Child out.

"Digital rewind." Jack stated and tossed banana back to the Doctor. "Nice switch."

"It's from the Groves of Villengard. I thought it was appropriate." The Doctor shrugged.

"There's really a banana grove in the heart of Villengard and you did that?"

"Bananas are good."

The Child thumped the wall from the other side, cracking it.

"Doctor!" Rose said.

"Come on!" The Doctor gestured them and yanked Sierra's hand, waking her up from her daze. "Where were you?"

"Got lost."

They rushed down a short flight of stairs and down another corridor, before they encountered all the patients bursting out of the ward and calling 'mummy'. They hastily backtracked, but the gasmask people came from that direction too. They found themselves back at the point where they started, where the Child was breaking through the wall.

"It's keeping us here so it can get at us." The Doctor said, finally letting go of Sierra's hand.

"It's controlling them?" Jack asked, pointing the blaster in each direction in term.

"It _is_ them. It's every living thing in this hospital."

"Except us." Sierra added.

"Okay. This can function as a sonic blaster, a sonic cannon, and a triple-enfolded sonic disrupter. Doc, what you got?" Jack asked.

The Doctor took the Sonic Screwdriver out of his pocket, but Jack was not looking as he was too busy brandishing his sonic device at the gasmask people. Sierra also dug her hands into her pockets.

"A sonic, er... oh, never mind." The Doctor mumbled.

"What?"

The Doctor turned to face the other group of gasmask people, switching on his Sonic Screwdriver. Sierra did the same with her Sonic Light. Switching the settings she got almost blinding light at one group of masked people.

"It's sonic, okay? Let's leave it at that."

"Disrupter? Cannon? What?"

"It's sonic! Totally sonic! I am sonic-ed up!"

"A sonic _what_?!"

"SCREWDRIVER!"

Sierra laughed. Jack spun around. At that moment, the Child finally managed to punch through the wall and began to climb through the hole. Rose grabbed onto Jack's wrist and made him point the sonic blaster at the floor.

"Going down!" She shouted.

"What!?" Sierra managed. Another part she had forgotten. Rose blasted a hole in the floor. They all fell in a messy heap on the floor of the ward below. Jack hurriedly activated the digital rewind, closing the hole so they couldn't be followed.

"Doctor, are you okay?" Rose asked.

"Could've used a warning..." The Doctor muttered and got up. Sierra followed him, holding her head with both of her hands.

"Never ever again…" She was mumbling.

"Ugh, the gratitude."

"…of champagne in the middle of an adventure." The brunette continued.

"What?" Rose snapped to look at Sierra too see if the girl was joking. Apparently she wasn't. Jack got up too now and helped Rose on her feet. While they were brushing themselves off the man finally asked the question that had popped into his mind on the second before the Child had gotten through the wall.

"Who has a sonic screwdriver?"

"I do!"

"Light!" Rose looked around.

"Who looks at a screwdriver and thinks 'oohoo, this could be a little more sonic'?"

"What, you've never been bored?"

"There's gotta be a light switch!" Rose muttered while she was promptly ignored by the two men.

"I'll handle it." Sierra flicked her Sonic Light on. "My Sonic is handy unlike theirs…" Rose snickered.

"Never had a long night? Never had a lot of cabinets to put up?" The Doctor was asking Jack.

"Oi, shut up! It was bad enough when Rose was flirting with Jack." Sierra shouted at the two of them. They shut up and looked at her. Jack with a smirk and the Doctor with a most curious expression on his face. Rose had finally found a switch with the help of Sierra and turned the lights on. All the gas-mask people lying in the beds sat up and started calling 'mummy'.

"Door." Jack said and they rushed to it as the patients started getting out of bed. Finding it locked, Jack tried to blast it open but his sonic blaster didn't work. "Damn it!" He stepped back, allowing the Doctor to use his Sonic Screwdriver instead. He whacked the sonic blaster angrily. "It's the special features, they really drain the battery."

"The battery?!" Rose repeated with arched eyebrows. The Doctor opened the door and they dashed through it.

"That's so _lame_." Rose shook her head.

"Limpy even." Sierra added with a nod. She hadn't forgiven the Doctor yet for calling her 'Limpy' but hey, she could pass it on.

* * *

The Doctor slammed the door shut behind them and locked it with. Jack ran to the window nearby.

"I was gonna send for another one, but SOMEBODY'S gonna blow up the factory." He turned to glare at the Doctor.

"Oh, I know - first day I met him, he blew my job up. That's practically how he communicates." Rose chuckled.

"Okay, that door should hold it for a bit." The Doctor stated and took a step back.

"The door?! The WALL didn't stop it!" Jack shouted.

"Well, it's gotta FIND us first! Come on, we're not done yet! Assets, assets!"

"Well, I've got a banana, and at a pinch you could put up some shelves."

The Doctor walked to the window and Jack.

"Window-…"

"Barred, sheer drop outside. Seven stories." Jack told him.

"And no other exits." Rose added. Jack settled comfortably into a chair.

_"Where does all these chairs come from?"_ Sierra thought.

"Well, the assets conversation went in a flash, didn't it?" The Doctor turned and eyed him for a moment, then looked at Rose and Sierra then.

"So, where'd you pick these ones up, then?" He jerked a thumb at the direction of them. Sierra glared while Rose downright growled.

"Doctor…"

"They were hanging from a barrage balloon, I had an invisible spaceship. I never stood a _chance_." Jack answered. Rose looked ever so slightly uncomfortable.

"Okay, one, we want to get out of here. Two, we CAN'T get out of here. Have I missed anything?"

"Yup. Jack just disappeared." Sierra quipped. The Doctor spun around to see Jack's empty chair.

* * *

After moments of stunned silence, the Doctor had sat down on the very same chair. Rose approached him and put her hand casually on the back of his chair.

"Okay, so he's vanished into thin air. Why is it always the _great_ looking ones who do that?" The Doctor looked up at her, giving her a look.

"I'm making an effort not to be insulted."

"I mean... men."

"I can also do it." Sierra pointed out. "Shall I go after him?"

"Nah. Okay. Thanks. That _really_ helped." The Doctor muttered.

"You are not making any sense." Sierra huffed. An old radio nearby sprung into life and Jack's voice transmitted through it.

"_Rose? Sierra? Doctor? Can you hear me?" _They all hurried over to the radio, the Doctor picking it up._ "I'm back on my ship. Used the emergency teleport. Sorry I couldn't take you."_

The Doctor, in some confusion, held the wires that had been ripped out of the radio.

"_It's security-keyed to my molecular structure. I'm working on it - hang in there."_ Jack continued

"How're you speaking to us?" The Doctor asked.

"_Om-Com. I can call anything with a speaker grille."_

"Now there's a coincidence."

"_What is?"_

"The Child can Om-Com too."

"It can?" Rose asked. The Doctor nodded.

"Anything with a speaker grille. Even the TARDIS phone."

"I called to the Tardis phone too. Does that mean my cell phone can Om-Com?" Sierra asked, puzzled.

"What, you mean the Child can phone us?" Rose asked, practically running over Sierra. The brunette shot a glare at her.

"_And I can hear you. Coming to find you. Coming to fiiiiind you."_ The Child said through the radio.

"_Doctor, can you hear that?"_

"Loud and clear."

"_I'll try to block out the signal. Least I can do."_

"_Coming to find you, mummy!"_ The Child said.

"If he's looking for his mother, why is he targeting men too?" Sierra mused deep in thought.

"_Remember this one, girls?" _Glenn Miller's 'Moonlight Serenade' started playing through the radio.

"I was sleeping. Ask Rose." Sierra stated. Rose looked uncomfortable as the Doctor turned to look at her questioningly.

"Our song." The girl fidgeted. Sierra snorted. The Doctor nodded slowly but it was clear he didn't like it. Rose shifted from foot to foot, smiling embarrassedly.

* * *

Rose shuffled around in the wheel chair, bored. Sierra had fallen asleep against the wall. The radio was still playing 'Moonlight Serenade'. The buzzing of the sonic screwdriver was also in the background. Rose spun the wheel chair around in the Doctor's direction. He was holding the Sonic Screwdriver up against the wall near the window.

"What you doing?"

"Trying to set up a resonation pattern in the concrete. Loosen the bars."

"You don't think he's coming back, do ya?"

"Wouldn't bet my life."

"Why don't you trust him?"

"Why do you?"

"Saved my life. Bloke-wise, that's up there with flossing." Rose shrugged and took a look at Sierra who was sound asleep. How could she sleep in the middle of all this? And fall asleep that quickly? The Doctor wasn't answering to the blonde. Rose looked at him for a moment. "I trust him 'cos he's like you. Except with dating and dancing."

The Doctor shot her a look.

"What?"

"You just assume I'm..."

"What?"

"You just assume that I don't... dance." The Doctor said slowly, hesitantly. Rose grinned.

"What, are you telling me you _do_... dance?"

"Nine hundred years old, me. I've been around a bit. I think you can assume that at some point I've _danced_."

Rose grinned even more. "You?"

"Problem?"

"Doesn't the universe implode or something if you... dance?"

"Well, I've got the moves but I wouldn't want to boast."

Rose, still grinning, stopped shuffling around in the wheelchair and got up to turn the music up. The Doctor looked around a bit confused about what was going on. Rose walked slowly forward, flirtatiously. He looked determinedly back to the wall. Rose held her hand out to him.

"You've got the moves?" She asked. The Doctor looked back at her. "Show me your moves."

"Rose, I'm trying to resonate concrete."

"Jack'll be back, he'll get us out. So come on - the world doesn't end 'cos the Doctor dances." Rose said, not lowering her hand. The Doctor snapped the Sonic Screwdriver off and, after putting it back into his jacket pocket, stepped away from the window and towards her, an odd expression on his face. He stood in front of Rose for a moment and took her hands. But instead of taking a dancing pose, he turns her hands over and looks at them.

"Barrage balloon?"

"...What?" Rose asked, snapping into reality.

"You were hanging from a barrage balloon." The Doctor told her, turning her hands over and looking at them.

"Oh... yeah. About two minutes after you left me. Thousands of feet above London - middle of a German air-raid - Union Jack _all_ over my chest. Sierra had a chance to cover hers since she was sitting in a rope loop but I was above her only with my own strength."

The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "I've travelled with a lot of people, but you're setting new records for jeopardy-friendly." He went back to examining her hands.

"Is this you dancing? 'Cos I've got notes." Rose asked in amusement.

"Hanging from a rope a thousand feet above London. Not a cut, not a bruise." He showed Rose her own hands. "Sierra I understand if she really was just sitting…"

"Yeah, I know. Captain Jack fixed me up..."

"Oh, we're calling him 'Captain Jack' now, are we?" There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Well, his name's Jack and he's a captain..."

"He's not really a captain, Rose." The Doctor smiled.

"D'you know what I think? I think you're experiencing Captain envy." The Doctor half nodded, not denying it. He took her hands and they began to dance. "You'll find your feet at the end of your legs. You may care to move them."

"If ever he was a captain, he's been defrocked."

"Yeah? Shame I missed that." Rose smiled.

"Actually, I quit. Nobody takes my frock." Jack's voice was heard again but this time not from the radio. The two looked up to see that they were standing in Jack's ship, Sierra still asleep and against the wall. They looked around at their surroundings, now standing apart.

"Most people notice when they've been teleported. You guys are so sweet. Sorry about the delay. I had to take the Nav-Com offline to override the teleport security." Jack told them with a smile.

"You can spend ten minutes overriding your own protocols? Maybe you should remember whose ship it is." The Doctor remarked.

"Oh, I do. She was _gorgeous_."

Rose smiled.

"Like I told her - be back in five minutes." Jack ducked into a compartment underneath the console. The Doctor looked around.

"This is a Chula ship." He stated.

"Yeah, just like that medical transporter. Only, this one _is_ dangerous."

The Doctor snapped his fingers, and his hand was instantly surrounded by nanogenes.

"They're what fixed my hands up! Jack called 'em, um..." Rose trailed off, trying to remember the term.

"Nanogenes." Sierra was awake now. She stretched and got on her feet. "Ouch, here we are again I see."

"So, sub-atomic robots. There's millions of them in here, see? Burned my hand on the console when we landed - all better now. They activate when the bulk head's sealed. Check you out for damage, fix any physical flaws." The Doctor explained to Rose who beamed. He banished the nanogenes with a wave of his hand and turned to Jack. "Take us to the crash site. I need to see your space junk."

"As soon as I get the Nav-Com back online." The Doctor looked mildly annoyed. "Make yourself comfortable. Carry on with whatever it was you were..." Jack gestured the two. "…doing."

"We were talking about dancing!" The Doctor said innocently.

"It didn't look like talking."

"Didn't feel like dancing." Rose told. The Doctor gave her a rather naïve look. Sierra was laughing behind her hand at the scene.

* * *

Rose was sitting and talking to Jack who was in the pilot seat. The Doctor was sitting some way behind Rose, not taking part in the conversation. Sierra was sitting next to him and leaning her head against his shoulder. She was still feeling a bit sleepy. Especially with all that staying still.

"So, you used to be a Time Agent - now you're trying to con them?" Rose asked while Jack was fiddling the controls.

"If it makes me sound any better, it's not for the money." He answered.

"For what?"

"Woke up one day when I was working for them - found they'd stolen two years of my memories. I'd like them back."

"They stole your memories?" Rose asked, incredulously.

"Two years of my life. No idea what I did." The Doctor watched him. "Your friend over there doesn't trust me. And for all I know... he's right not to."

The computer beeped.

"Okay, we're good to go." The Doctor looked up. "Crash site?"

"Finally!" Sierra stretched again and sat up straighter.

* * *

They walked over the rail station near the bombsite and peered over the barbed wire.

"There it is." Jack said and spotted the soldier earlier pacing up and down. "Ay, they've got Algy on duty. Must be important."

"We've gotta get past." The Doctor stated.

"The words 'distract the guard' head in my general direction." Rose muttered.

"Rather you than me. I'm awful at flirting." Sierra said.

"Who said anything about flirting?" Rose shot back and Sierra gave her a look. "Alright I get it."

"I don't think that'd be such a good idea." Jack said slowly.

"Don't worry... I can handle it." Rose waved him off.

"I've got to know Algy quite well since I've been in town. Trust me. You're not his type. I'll distract him." Jack walked away. "Don't wait up."

Rose and the Doctor looked at each other.

"Meaning Agly swings to the other direction?" Sierra thought aloud. She hadn't earlier given it many thoughts.

"Relax, he's a 51st century guy. He's just a bit more flexible when it comes to dancing." the Doctor was telling Rose.

"_How_ flexible?" The blonde asked.

"Well, by his time, you lot have spread out across half the galaxy."

"Meaning?"

The Doctor grinned. "So many species, so little time..."

"What, that's what we do when we get out there? That's our mission? We seek new life, and... and..."

"Dance." He sniggered. Sierra also laughed at Rose's expression. It was rather hilarious. But then she turned to look at where Jack had gone. Algy had fallen to his knees.

"Oh, god, look!" Sierra tugged Rose's sleeve and before the very eyes of the four of them Algy's face transformed into a gas mask. Jack was horror-struck. The other soldiers began to hurry over.

"Stay back!" The Doctor shouted without any effect.

"You men! Stay away!" Jack commanded. Rose, Sierra and the Doctor rushed over to Jack, and Algy who was lying on the ground. Rose stared down at him in shock.

"The effect's become air-borne. Accelerating." The Doctor muttered to himself.

"What's keeping _us_ safe?" Rose asked, her eyes wide like a pair of saucers.

"Nothing."

The air-raid siren sounded on the background. Jack looked up.

"Ah, here they come again."

"All we need. Didn't you say a bomb was gonna land... _here_?" Rose realized.

Jack nodded. Someone in the background was singing. Sierra turned to look in the direction of singing.

"Never mind about that. If the contaminants air-borne now, there's hours left." The Doctor told them.

"For what?"

"'Til nothing. 'Til forever. For the entire human race. And can anyone else hear singing?" The Doctor looked around to see Sierra already walking to the direction of singing. It's coming from the shed nearby.

* * *

"Rock-a-by baby, on the tree tops, when the wind blows the cradle will rock..." Nancy sang shakily but gently. "When the bough breaks the cradle will fall, and down will come baby, cradle and all."

The door creaked open. Nancy turned her head sharply to see the Doctor poking his head into the shed. He motioned for her to continue singing. Sierra peered in, annoyed that she'd been pushed aside. Always the Time Lord had to be in the center of everything.

"Rock-a-by baby on the tree tops, when the wind blows the cradle will rock..."

The Doctor approached her, taking his Sonic Screwdriver out of his jacket pocket. He flicked it on and unlocked her handcuffs. Rose and Jack appeared in the doorway next to Sierra. Nancy stood up and they all left the shed, leaving the gas-masked soldier fast asleep.

* * *

They went back to the bomb site, and the Doctor and Jack uncovered the Chula med-ship, which had a tarpaulin over it, hiding it from view. Nancy, Rose and Sierra watched.

"You see? Just an ambulance." Jack said.

"That's an ambulance?" Nancy asked.

"It's hard to explain, it's... it's from another world." Rose smiled to the young woman.

"They've been trying to get in." Jack told while taking a closer look.

"Of _course_ they have." The Doctor rolled his eyes while Jack began to enter the code. "They think they've got their hands on Hitler's latest secret weapon. What're you doing?"

"Well, the sooner you see this thing is empty, the sooner you'll see I had nothing to do with it." Jack snapped. The controls exploded with sparks, and they all jumped backwards. An alarm went off. "Didn't happen last time." The ex-Time Agent mumbled.

"It hadn't crashed last time. They're the emergency protocols."

"And the thing is that this ship wasn't empty from the beginning." Sierra rubbed her temples. "It had something inside that can't be detected with X-ray scans and such… Are you even listening to me?" Everyone else was looking at a red light on the control panel that was flashing.

"Doctor!" Rose yelled suddenly. The gates at the other side of the bomb site were shaking.

"Captain, secure those gates!" The Doctor shouted.

"Why?" Jack frowned.

"Shut up and do it!" Sierra snapped to him. Jack obeyed. The Doctor turned to Nancy.

"Nancy, how'd you get in here?"

"I cut the wire." She answered.

"Show Rose." He tossed the Sonic Screwdriver to Rose. "Setting two thousand four hundred and twenty eight D."

"What?"

"Reattaches barbed wire. Go!"

In distance Jack slammed the gate shut. Sierra sat on the ground, rubbing her temples.

"You okay?" The Doctor asked worriedly.

"Yeah, just a bit tired…"

"Okay…" The Doctor turned his back to her.

"Forty-five minutes."

"What?" He whipped around.

"Okay, two sets of forty-five minutes. Two episodes. Altogether ninety minutes. That's all that took me to watch this adventure. Here it has been several hours and a few near-death experiences. It's taking its toll on me. And to be honest, I was much more terrified at the hospital than when I was held hostage by that Dalek." Sierra looked wearily up into the Doctor's disbelieving eyes. But before he could say anything, Jack came back to open the hatch of the med-ship.

"It's empty. Look at it." Rose and Nancy joined them.

"What do you expect in a Chula medical transporter? Bandages? Cough drops? Rose? Sierra?"

"I dunno."

"Yes, you do." He mimed summoning the nanogenes.

"Nanogenes!"

"Finally!" Sierra huffed. "Took you lot long enough!"

"It wasn't empty, Captain. There was enough nanogenes in there to rebuild a species."

"Oh, God." Jack was ashen-faced now.

"Getting it now, are we? When the ship crashes, the nanogenes escape. Billions upon billions of them, ready to fix all the cuts and bruises in the whole world. But what they find first is a dead child, probably killed earlier that night and wearing a gasmask."

"And they brought him back to life? They can _do_ that?" Rose asked.

"What's life? Life's easy. A quirk of matter. Nature's way of keeping meat fresh. Nothing to a nanogene. One problem, though - these nanogenes - they're not like the ones on your ship. This lot have never seen a human being before. Don't know what a human being's supposed to look like."

Jack, Rose and Nancy were listening to him intently, processing this. Sierra just wanted to get back to Tardis.

"All they've got to go on is one little body, and there's not a lot left. But they carry right on. They do what they're programmed to do, they patch it up. Can't tell what's gasmask and what's skull, but they do their best. Then off they fly - off they go, work to be done. 'Cos you see _now_ they _think_ they know what people should look like and it's time to fix all the rest. And they won't ever stop. They won't ever, ever stop. The entire Human Race is gonna be torn down and rebuilt in the form of one terrified child looking for its mother, and _nothing_ in the world can stop it!" The Doctor's voice had risen almost to a shout. Sierra covered her ears, annoyed. Jack was abashed, shaken.

"I didn't know." Ha managed to say. The Doctor fixed him with a cold stare for a few seconds, and then went back to examining the med-ship, starting work with the Sonic Screwdriver Nancy stared into the distance, beyond the fence. The gasmask people had arrived, all of them still calling 'mummy'.

"Rose?" Rose rushed to Nancy's side, following her gaze. The gasmask people stumbled towards them over the rail-track. They were still quite a distance away, yet too close. Rose rushed back to the med-ship, and looked again at the flashing red light on the control panel.

"It's bringing the gasmask people here, isn't it?" She asked the Time Lord.

"The ship thinks it's under attack. It's calling up the troops. Standard protocol." He answered.

"But... the gasmask people aren't troops..."

"They are now. This is a battle-field ambulance. The nanogenes don't just fix you up - they get you ready for the front line. Equip you, programme you."

"That's why the Child's so strong. Why it could do that phoning thing."

"It's a fully equipped Chula warrior, yes. All that weapons tech in the hands of a hysterical four year old - looking for his mummy. And now there's an army of them."

The gasmask people surrounded the fence. The five of them looked around nervously. Even Sierra was losing her earlier cool.

"Why don't they attack?" Jack asked.

"Good little soldiers. Waiting for their commander." The Doctor gave the answer.

"The child?"

"Jamie." Nancy said quietly.

"What?"

"Not 'the child'. Jamie." Nancy glared the captain. The Doctor looked at her.

"So, how long until the bomb falls?" Rose asked, tried to sound calm.

"Any second."

"What's the matter, Captain? Bit close to the volcano for you?" The Doctor asked sarcastically.

"He's just a little boy." Nancy said.

"I know."

"He's just a little boy who wants his mummy."

"I know. There isn't a little boy born who wouldn't tear the world apart to save his mummy. And this little boy can."

"So what're we gonna DO?" Rose interrupted loudly.

"We wait for the child and then Doctor gets an idea how to sort this out." Sierra shrugged.

"Except I don't have any idea how." The Doctor glared her.

"Don't worry, you will."

Rose sighed. Tears welled in Nancy's eyes.

"It's my fault." The young woman choked.

"No." The Doctor said immediately.

"It is. It's all my fault."

"How can it be your-." He suddenly broke off. He spun around, looking at all the gasmask people positioned behind the fence, calling for their mummy and then back at Nancy, who was sobbing uncontrollably. He stared at her. "Nancy, what age are you? Twenty? Twenty-one? Older than you look, yes?"

A bomb landed nearby. Rose and Jack flinched. Sierra kept her eyes on the sky instead of the gas-mask people.

"Doctor… that bomb. We've got seconds." Jack said. Another landed.

"You can teleport us out." Rose told the captain. The Doctor wasn't paying them any attention, eyes fixed on the sobbing Nancy.

"Not you guys. The Nav-Com's back online. Gonna take too long to override the protocols." Jack said.

"So it's volcano day. Do what you've got to do." The Doctor said to Jack, his eyes still on Nancy.

"Jack?" Rose stared at him. Jack looked at her almost apologetically and teleported himself out.

"How old were you five years ago? Fifteen? Sixteen? Old enough to give birth, anyway." The Doctor was talking to Nancy. Still sobbing, she glanced up at him and then away again, shame written all over her face. "He's not your brother, is he?" Nancy shook her head. "A teenage single mother in 1941. So you hid. You lied." Nancy nodded, tears streaming down her face. "You even lied to him."

The gates swung open. The Child stood at the forefront of an army of gasmask people, ready to charge.

"Are you my mummy?" The Child asked.

"He's gonna keep asking, Nancy. He's never gonna stop. Tell him." The Doctor told the young woman – no, the young mother. She didn't answer. The gasmask people began to walk forward. "Nancy... the future of the human race is in your hands. Trust me... and tell him."

The Child approaches them. "Are you my mummy?"

The Doctor gave Nancy a gentle push in the direction of the Child.

"Are you my mummy? Are you my mummy?"

"Yes." Nancy whispered and said then with a stronger voice. "Yes. I _am_ your mummy."

The Child walked slowly forward. "Mummy?"

"I'm here."

"Are you my mummy?"

Nancy kneeled before him. "I'm here."

"Are you my mummy?"

"Yes."

"He doesn't understand. There's not enough of him left." The Doctor muttered to Rose and Sierra.

"I am your mummy. I will always be your mummy. I'm so sorry." Nancy told her son tearfully and she took him into her arms, no longer caring what would happen. The nanogenes surrounded them, making them glow with a golden light. "I am so, so sorry."

"What's happening?" Rose asked. "Doctor, it's changing her, we should-…"

"Shh!" The Doctor held a hand to silence her. Sierra could only stare at the beautiful scene of mother and child surrounded by the golden light. "Come on, please. Come on, you _clever_ little nanogenes - figure it out! The mother. She's the mother! There's gotta be enough information, figure it out!"

"What's happening?" Rose asked.

"See? Recognizing the same DNA." The Doctor pointed the pair.

Nancy fell away from the child to the ground, as the nanogenes disappeared. The Doctor and Rose rushed over, the Doctor staring down at the child, hardly daring to hope. Sierra scrambled on her feet and followed them.

"Oh, come on. Give me a day like this. Give me this one." The Doctor mumbled. He reached out to the gasmask... and removed it, revealing a perfectly ordinary, sweet little boy underneath. Nancy stared in delighted wonder. The Doctor laughed ecstatically and lifted the little boy into the air, swinging him around. "Ah-ha-ha! Welcome back! Twenty years 'til pop music - you're gonna love it." He hugs Jamie, laughing.

"What happened?" Nancy asked.

"The nanogenes recognised the superior information - the parent DNA. They didn't change _you_ because _you_ changed them! Haha!" The Doctor put Jamie down in front of her. "Mother knows best!"

"Jamie...!"

A bomb landed nearby.

"Doctor, that bomb..." Rose began.

"Taken care of it."

"How?"

He gestured Nancy and Jamie. "Psychology!"

The bomb fell towards them but was suddenly snatched out of the air by a blue force-field. The same force-field that had saved Rose and Sierra earlier. A moment later, Jack appeared hovering in the tunnel of light.

"Doctor!" Jack called to them.

"Good lad!" The Doctor shouted back.

"The bomb's already commenced detonation. I've put it in stasis but it won't last long."

"Change of plan - don't need the bomb. Can you get rid of it? Safely as you can?" The Doctor asked.

"Rose?" Jack asked the blonde.

"Yeah?" The girl asked, her voice slightly shaking.

"Goodbye." And he disappeared and then reappeared. "By the way - love the t-shirt." He grinned and Rose grinned back, pulling the t-shirt down embarrassedly. Jack disappeared again. His ship zoomed off into the night sky, the bomb with it. The Doctor walked a few paces away, staring intently at his hands. He summoned the nanogenes. Sierra mimicked his actions. The nanogenes fluttered around their hands. Sierra grinned at the sight. This was one of the things she had always wanted to do.

"What're you doing?" Rose asked.

"Software patch. Gonna email the upgrade. You want moves, Rose? I'll give you moves." The Doctor threw the nanogenes away from him, towards the gasmask people who were still standing around on the train track. Sierra just chucked the nanogenes in the air above her. The herd of those golden fireflies floated above her head for a moment before zooming towards the gas-masked people. She let out a laugh full of joy, happiness, excitement and relief. The Doctor gave his widest grin to her as the gas-masked people fell on the ground, the nanogenes surrounding them.

"Everybody lives. Just this once. Everybody lives!" He laughed. And the people got to their feet without gasmasks! They were restored to normal human beings now. The Doctor bounded over to Doctor Constantine.

"Doctor Constantine. Who never left his patients. Back on your feet, constant doctor! World doesn't wanna get by without you just yet, and I don't blame it one bit. These are your patients. All better, now!" The Doctor gestured the people around.

"Yes, yes... so it seems. They also seem to be standing around in a disused railway station. Is there any particular reason for that?" Doctor Constantine said, looking around in confusion.

"Yeah, well, you know - cutbacks. Listen, whatever was wrong with them in the past, you're probably gonna find that they're cured. Just tell them what a great doctor you are. Don't make a big thing of it. Okay?" He rushed back to Rose and Sierra and jumped a top of the space-ambulance. "Right, you lot! Lots to do! Beat the Germans, save the world - don't forget the Welfare State!"

Doctor Constantine smiled and he and his patients began to walk away. The Doctor bended down to the control.

"Setting this to self-destruct, soon as everybody's clear. History says there was an explosion here. Who am I to argue with history?"

"Usually the first in line." Rose smiled. The Doctor looked at her and grinned. She grinned back.

"Okay, let's get back to Tardis, shall we?" Sierra asked and stretched her arms towards to sky. "I'm getting cramps on my back for all this sleeping while sitting."

"That was your own fault, you know." Rose told the brunette.

"No it wasn't. It was your fault."

"And why's that?" There was a challenging tone in the blonde's voice.

"Because you had to be flirting all the time. Whether it was the Doctor or Jack, you acted like a love-sick puppy. Or were you just trying to make Doc jealous?"

"What? I wasn't flirting all the time!"

"Oh, yes you were. And if there is something I can't stand, it's meaningless romance in its lovesickness. Love triangles are the worst." Sierra made a mock shudder and grinned at Rose then.

"And what do you know about it if you haven't ever dated anyone?"

"The fact that I haven't dated anyone doesn't mean that I am oblivious on the term relationship. It's different if you just happen to sync with someone but the thing you did... Don't take offense on it but I rather not to be at the place or conscious when it happens."

"Fine." Rose huffed.

"Done, ladies?" The Doctor asked and hopped down the shipwreck. He had quite an odd expression on his face. He didn't know what to think about what Sierra had just said or how Rose reacted to it. **(A/N: Up to you my dear readers. What do you think he is thinking? Tell me too!)**

"Yeah, we are." Sierra shrugged and jogged to him. Rose glared her for a second but followed then.

* * *

They entered the TARDIS, the Doctor chatting away happily. He was trying to divert the girls thoughts away from the earlier conversation.

"The nanogenes will clean up the mess and switch themselves off - because I just told them to. Nancy and Jamie will go to Doctor Constantine for help - ditto - all in all, all things considered - fantastic!" Rose smiled at his enthusiasm.

"Look at you, beaming away like you're Father Christmas!" She poked his side.

"Who says I'm not, red-bicycle-when-you-were-twelve?"

"What?!"

"I had my first bicycle when I was five. When I was twelve I had a green one." Sierra remarked dryly, a hint of smile evident on her face.

"And everybody lives! Everybody lives!" The Doctor continued and flipped a switch on the console. "I need more days like this."

"Doctor..." Rose started.

"Go on, ask me anything. I'm on FIRE!"

"What about Jack?"

The Doctor's smile faded, and he carried on working, like he didn't want to answer this.

"Why'd he say goodbye?"

"Because he is overdramatic flirt." Sierra smiled and walked to the console. "C'mon, let's go to pick him up."

* * *

Rose and the Doctor were waltzing in the console room with 'Moonlight Serenade' playing on the background. Rose was teaching the Doctor dancemoves, making okaying noises as they danced. Jack looked around at the sheer size of the place, compared with the outside. Sierra had disappeared somewhere.

"Right, and turn..." Rose told the Doctor who spun her around, getting her arm all twisted. "Okay, okay, try and spin me again, but this time - don't get my arm up my back!" The Doctor looked sheepish. "No extra points for a half-nelson."

"I'm _sure_ I used to know this stuff." The Doctor mumbled and addressed then to Jack. "Close the door, will you. Your ship's about to blow up - there's gonna be a draft."

Rose grinned and leaned against one of the pillars. The Doctor flicked a switch and the engines started up. "Welcome to the TARDIS."

"Much bigger on the inside..." Jack mumbled.

"You'd better be."

"I think what the Doctor's _trying_ to say is... you may cut in." Rose smiled. They grinned and Rose took Jack's hand, as if to dance with him.

"Rose! I've just remembered!" The Doctor said suddenly.

"What?"

And 'In The Mood' blared out. Lights flashed all around the room, and the Doctor moved towards Rose in time to the music, clicking his fingers. "I can dance! "

"Actually, Doctor... I thought Jack might like this dance." Rose smiled.

"I'm sure he would, Rose. I'm absolutely certain. But who with?"

Rose sniggered and hopped up the steps to take the Doctor's hands. He spun her perfectly. Jack watched them with a big smile on his face as they danced around the console room. The Doctor suddenly threw her backwards over his arm, earning a whoop of delight from Rose. She pulled herself up, and sagged onto his shoulder, giggling.

"Found it!" The three of them heard from the corridor. Sierra emerged to the console room waving a CD in triumph above her head. "It was between my pillow and pillow case."

"And _it _is what, exactly?" Rose asked.

"My turn to choose the music. The band is called the Chameleon Circuit, the CD is called the Chamelaon Circuit, the music genre is called Time Lord Rock and the song I'm choosing is… Doctor What!" Sierra inserted the CD into the console. "And that's the only song we are listening because the others contain spoilers or would get us too sad." Sierra smiled and the Tardis started to play out the song. After a moment of confusion the three of them, native in that world, were singing along with Sierra.

* * *

"_My girlfriend thinks that I'm a nutter. My parents say that I'm an utter fool, for wasting my time on this._

"_But I'm not chasing my imagination, I just can't help avoid my fixation, 'Cos I know that he really exists._

"_But if you look through time then you will find, So many artifacts have been signed with clues, All pointing his way._

"_And though he may have different faces, I think it's him in all the cases, the man is an enigma who knows where he is today._

"_Just have a look at what I've found and see, Am I going crazy or is he following me, You can find his legacy sketched throughout, Though the history books always tend to leave him out._

_#_

"_He's called the Doctor. But Doctor What? I think he's a Martian though I know that that's a long shot._

"_Doctor… But Doctor When? I'll check back to prehistoric times and there he is again_

"_Well that's the Doctor. But Doctor How? He saves the planet all the time but never stops to bow._

"_Oh mister Doctor… But Doctor Who? And most importantly Doctor, how can I find you?_

_#_

"_He takes danger with him everywhere he goes. So if he does show up then we'll know. That something's not right._

"_But I just can't help but think that I would make a good companion by his side. I'm pretty bright, always polite, oh Doctor take me up tonight._

"_I know that I should get a grip but I need to see inside his ship. And have him take me everywhere he gone._

"_Or at least I'd like to meet the guy to shake his hand and say goodbye. And thank him for all he's done._

"_You can't deny aliens must be real. Well is it that hard to believe that some might be revealed to look like us. Well I know it's just all speculation but I feel I must. Try to trust in what I feel._

_#_

"_He's called the Doctor. But Doctor What? I think he's a Martian though I know that that's a long shot._

"_Doctor… But Doctor When? I'll check back to prehistoric times and there he is again._

"_Well that's the Doctor. But Doctor How? He saves the planet all the time but never stops to bow._

"_Oh mister Doctor. But Doctor Who? And most importantly Doctor, how can I find you?_

_#_

"_I know to you I must look like some kind of Neanderthal. While you're a flying cosmic genius and know-it-all. I'm just an insect, there's nothing I can do. How could I expect that would ever meet you Doctor! _

"_But Doctor What? I think he's a Martian though I know that that's a long shot._

"_Doctor… But Doctor When? I'll check back to prehistoric times and there he is again._

"_Well that's the Doctor. But Doctor How? He saves the planet all the time but never stops to bow._

"_Oh mister Doctor. But Doctor Who? And most importantly Doctor, how can I find you?"_

* * *

**A/N: I do not own the lyrics of "Doctor What". Those belong to Charlie McDonnell, member of Chameleon Circuit. I recommend you all to go and check out some songs from this band. They are plain awesome!**

**And now, plz rvw!**


	11. New friends! Or at least acquintances

**A/N: Hola, still alive even though school is killing me! I've barely any time to go on computer but hopefully it'll get better in October... But I'll still try my best in getting these chapter going. Even if it means updating slower... So, I've no idea when the next chapter will come.**

**This chapter is more like Sierra's own shortie adventure and she'll get more of those in the next series. This is the beginning. And... I just had to add some Sierra/Jack. And not just some, kinda lot actually. Later they'll be just friends though. And by the way, Jack has been brieffed by now that Sierra is from another universe. It's her decisions after all whom she's telling. **

* * *

**11. My dear friends, but not the ones you think  
(Boom Town)**

Sierra was occupying the jump seat in the console room again. It had become her almost favorite place in the Tardis. From there she was in the middle of everything yet a bit aside so she could observe the interactions between the others without necessary taking part on them. But if she wanted to, she was still right there, not invisible nor an outsider.

Now they had landed in Cardiff in order to refuel the Tardis and Rose had called Mickey to come and meet them. In the original timeline the boy would've brought her passport but considering that Sierra had nicked it earlier and given it to the blonde, there was no need for that.

There was a knock on the door. Jack strode to it quickly and swung it open.

"Who the hell are you?" The ex-Time Agent told Mickey who answered in the equally rude manner.

"What d'you mean, who the hell am I? Who the hell are you?"

"Captain Jack Harkness. Whatever your selling, we're not buying."

"Get out of my way!" Mickey pushed past Jack into the TARDIS. The Captain shut the door behind him.

"Don't tell me, this must be Mickey." Ha groaned. Sierra glanced upwards where The Doctor was carrying out some sort of maintenance work, standing on ladders. He had a red flashing light strapped to his forehead and looked… extremely silly. Rose in the other hand was standing by the console. The Doctor looked down at them.

"Here comes trouble! How're you doing, Ricky boy?" The Time Lord greeted cheerily.

"It's Mickey!" Came the response immediately. Sierra chuckled.

"Don't listen to him, he's winding you up." Rose told her boyfriend.

"You look fantastic." They both grinned broadly and gave each other a big hug.

"Aww, sweet, look at these two. How come I never get any of that?" Jack smiled.

"Buy me a drink first." The Doctor said, looking at what he had been doing earlier.

"You're such hard work." The Captain smirked.

"But worth it." A self-satisfied grin.

"And now you have to be flirting with each other…" Sierra groaned. "The next thing I'll know must be that this has become a snogbox."

"Hey!"

Rose and Mickey had chatted happily when the boy suddenly said: "Sounds like you're staying then."

An awkward silence followed. The Doctor looked between them curiously. Mickey smiled, attempting to lighten the atmosphere again. "So, what're you doing in Cardiff? And who the hell's Jumping Jack Flash? I mean, I don't mind you hanging out with big-ears up there-."

"Oi!"

"Look in the mirror." The Doctor shook his head and turned back to his work. "But this guy, I dunno, he's kinda..."

"Handsome?" Jack suggested hopefully.

"More like cheesy."

"Early 21st Century slang - Is cheesy good or bad?"

"C'mon Jack, you do know whether it is." Sierra shook her head amusedly.

"It's bad."

"But bad means good, isn't that right?" Jack grinned to Mickey.

"Are you saying I'm not handsome?" The Doctor asked Mickey and descended the ladders. Everyone except Sierra ignored him.

"You are also very handsome but in general standards Jack goes way past you." She supplied. Jack flashed her a pleased grin she ignored.

"We just stopped off. We need to refuel. Thing is, Cardiff's got this rift running through the middle of the city. It's invisible, but it's like an earthquake fault between different dimensions-." Rose was telling the boy.

"The rift was healed back in 1869-." The Doctor started.

"Thanks to a girl named Gwyneth, 'cos these creatures called the Gelth. They were using the rift as a gateway but she saved the world and closed it." Rose interrupted him.

"But closing a rift always leaves a scar, and that scar generates energy, harmless to the Human Race-." Jack told when the look on Mickey's face clearly told that he didn't understand.

"But perfect for the TARDIS, so just park it here for a couple of days right on top of the scar and-." The Doctor continued.

"Open up the engines, soak up the radiation-." Sierra picked up from where the Time Lord had left it as she got up from the chair.

"Like filling her up with petrol and off we go!" Rose ended the explanation.

"Into time!" Jack high-fived Rose.

"And space!" The four time-travelers high-fived.

"Whoo!" Rose let out.

"My God, have you seen yourselves? You all think you're so clever, don't you?" Mickey stared at them.

"Yeah!" The Doctor said.

"Yeah!" Rose copied.

"Yep!" Jack nodded.

"…" The other three turned to look at Sierra who didn't say anything. She had her arms crossed on her chest and standing still. Then a grin broke off her face. "Yes!"

The matter solved. Jack gave Mickey a friendly slap on the cheek.

* * *

They all stepped out of the TARDIS.

"Should take another twenty-four hours, which means we've got time to kill." The Doctor mused.

"That old lady's staring." Mickey didn't quite point her.

"Probably thinking insults for Torchwood…" Sierra mumbled.

"For what?" The Doctor asked.

"Nothing." Sierra grinned before adding with a sing-song voice: "Spoilers."

"She's probably wondering what five people could do inside a small wooden box..." Jack patted the Doctor suggestively on the shoulder. The Doctor, Jack and Rose sniggered and Sierra rolled her eyes.

"What are you captain of? The Innuendo Squad?" Mickey asked. "Wait! Er, the TARDIS - we can't just leave it. Doesn't it get noticed?"

"Yeah, what's with the police box? Why does it look like that?" Jack added.

"It's a cloaking device." Rose told him.

"It's called a chameleon circuit. The TARDIS is meant to disguise itself wherever it lands, like if this was Ancient Rome, it'd be a statue on a plinth or something. But I landed in the 1960s, it disguised itself as a police box, and the circuit got stuck." The Doctor explained.

"So it copied a real thing? There actually _was_ police boxes?" Mickey asked.

"Yeah, on street corners. Phone for help before they had radios and mobiles. If they arrested someone, they could shove them inside until help came. Like a little prison cell."

"Why don't you just fix the circuit?" Jack asked, leaning towards the Doctor.

"I like it! Don't you?"

"I _love_ it." Rose interrupted the bantering.

"But that's what I meant! There's no police boxes anymore, so doesn't it get noticed?" Mickey grinned after proving his point.

"Ricky, let me tell you something about the Human Race. You put a mysterious blue box slap bang in the middle of town and what do they do?" The Doctor said seriously and put his hands on Mickey's shoulders. "Walk past it. Now stop your nagging, let's go and explore!" He walked off, linking his hand with Rose's. Mickey and Jack followed. Sierra looked into the distance for a moment but jogged then after them.

"So… what's the plan?" She asked.

"I don't know! Cardiff. Early 21st Century." The Doctor replied. Rose bounced up and down excitedly. "And the wind's coming from the... East. Trust me - safest place in the universe."

* * *

They were sitting at a table having a thoroughly good time as Jack was telling them all an exciting story.

"I swear, six feet tall and with _tusks_-."

"You're lying through your teeth!" The Doctor retorted

"I would've gone bonkers! That's the word - bonkers!" Rose laughed.

"I mean, it turns out the white things are tusks and I mean _tusks_! And it's woken, and it's not happy…" Jack continued.

"How could you not know it was there?" Sierra sighed.

"And we're standing there, fifteen of us, _naked_-."

"Naked?!" Rose repeated.

"And I'm like, oh, no, no, it's got nothing to do with me! And then it roars, and we are running. Oh my God, we are _running_! And Brakovitch falls, so I turn to him and I say-."

"I knew we should've turned left!" Mickey interrupted and they all roared with laughter at the punchline.

"That's my line!"

"I don't _believe_ you. I don't believe a word you say _ever_, that is so brilliant!" Rose said through her laughter. The Doctor glanced over at a newspaper an old man nearby was reading, and the smile instantly faded from his face. Unnoticed by the others, he stood.

"Did you ever get your clothes back?"

"No, I just picked him up went right for the ship, full throttle, didn't stop until I hit the space lanes. I was shaking! It was unbelievable, I'm freaking out and by the time I got there I was fifteen light-years away I was like this!" While Jack was prattling on, the Doctor pulled the paper out of the old man's hands and looked at the front page. He looked up, face troubled.

"And I was having such a nice day." He sighed and held up the paper, showing them the headline - New Mayor, New Cardiff.

"So, a mission awaits?" Sierra smirked.

"Yeah…"

Sierra's Vortex Manipulator beeped. She sighed. "I was wondering when he'll contact me…" She tapped the screen. A message popped out.

"_Come and say hello. ;-)"_ It read.

"Who? Why it's your wrist watch taking the message and not your phone?" Rose asked immediately.

"My guess is that because this message wasn't sent with a phone…" Sierra trailed off. "Anyways, I'd better be off then. See you later."

"Who is it?" Jack asked.

"Just someone who can be in the same time twice and almost in the same place even. I had planned on meeting up when we come here… It seems agreeable from the other part of this too so…"

"You do realize you aren't specifying is it she or he that you are meeting." The Doctor pointed out.

"Yes, see you at Tardis in… a good time." Sierra waved as she walked away.

"Who the hell is she meeting with?" Rose frowned when the other girl was out of hearing range.

* * *

Sierra stepped into the Roald Dahl Plass and looked into the CCTV cameras around. She smiled and waved for one of them. Then she walked to the edge of the pavement in front of the water tower.

"It's this one…" Sierra stepped on the cloaking-deviced-lift. A tap on her VM and the stone started to sink into the ground. The sight she saw while descending was great. She had always wanted to visit the Hub of Torchwood 3, Cardiff. And now she was there! A bit earlier in their timeline than she had thought **(No Myfanwy, Ianto or Gwen but yes Suzie)** but nevertheless she was there!

"I wonder if Jack told his crew that I'm coming…" Sierra thought and stepped off the lift when it was down. She walked towards the main area of the Hub, took a glance on the Rift Manipulator on the center and the cog door at the other side. She smiled widely as she spotted Toshiko by her computer, typing furiously. She probably wasn't exactly sure why there was something sucking the Rift energy in instead of arriving along it. Somewhere in the autopsy bay was Owen as he was nowhere seen and Suzie was at her workstation, fixing something electronic. None of them had noticed her. Sierra looked up and could see Jack of this time behind the glass windows of his office. He smirked to her as she waved silently and when she gestured the two women, he shook his head amusedly. Sierra crossed her arms on her chest and huffed. Nothing. Then she got an idea. Not very brilliant one but an idea nonetheless. She took out her Sonic Light, aimed it towards the roof and…

_vwrrrrrrrrrrr_

The lights started flickering. Tosh looked up. So did Suzie. Some swearing was heard from autopsy bay and Owen came up in a rush, demanding to know 'what the hell was going on'. He stopped as he saw Sierra.

"Who-?" He couldn't continue anymore, just brought a gun and pointed it at Sierra. Tosh and Suzie looked to the direction the doctor was pointing and in a second there were two other guns pointing the girl.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Suzie demanded.

"How did you get in?" Tosh added.

"From the door?" Sierra pointed to the direction of the lift with her Sonic.

"Impossible. No one knows about it." Owen said through gritted teeth.

"Apparently I do. Besides I came here because I was invited."

"By who?" Suzie took a step towards her. Sierra merely looked above the three.

"Captain himself." Was heard from there. Jack was leaning against the railing of the second floor, an amused expression on his face. "Hello, Sierra." He grinned.

"Oh, don't start." Sierra crossed her arms again.

"I was just saying hello."

"From you it's not just a hello. Haven't you learnt yet that I'm not falling into your flirting?" There was a hint of amusement on her face though.

"Okay, lower the guns." Jack told the three. "She's an old friend of mine."

"An old friend whose visit you didn't bother of mentioning. I have to say, your call came right on dot."

"One time, two places. I happen to remember things." Jack walked to downstairs. "Especially when it's about you." He winked. Sierra rolled her eyes.

"Still the same I see."

"Jack, who is she?" Suzie asked, holstering her gun but keeping her eyes on Sierra.

"This is marvelous Sierra Adler. One of the few who haven't fallen into my charm but have stayed as my friend." Jack slung an arm around the girl's shoulders. "She travels with the Doctor."

"Speaking of whom… what was the last time you saw me and why this specific moment to call me?" Sierra asked.

"Ummh…" The Immortal ushered the other three back to work with a single glance. "Game Station just before… erm… I probably can't tell you."

"Don't. How about the other question of mine?" Sierra asked as she was led upstairs to Jack's office.

"Well, I just remember you getting a message to your Vortex Manipulator and being very secretive of whom you were going to meet. Probably because I was there. And you mentioned Torchwood too so I figured you knew that I was already here."

"I see. Nice to meet you even though I just saw you." Sierra sat on the Captain's desk and leaned her back. "Nice office."

"Thank you."

"Why didn't you tell them…" Sierra nodded her head to downstairs. "…that I was coming?"

Jack grinned and took two glasses and a bottle of some golden-colored liquid from a nearby table. "Just to mess up with them. Which is also why I gave you the access to the lift." He poured the drink to two glasses, filling them halfway, and gave one of them to the girl. Sierra accepted it but eyed it warily.

"What is this? You remember I got drunk from a few glasses of champagne."

"Nothing with alcohol. Taste it, it's not from this world." Jack raised his glass and took a sip.

"Jack Harkness, you are going to be the death to me." Sierra mumbled but tasted anyways. It was actually pretty good, didn't make her dizzy and warmed her throat nicely. The taste… Sierra had always been bad at describing them. But it was delicious, something you tasted once and it reminded about all happy moments of life. Something you could vaguely remember from childhood yet Sierra was sure she had never tasted it before.

"Highlights of life." Jack interrupted Sierra's train of thought. "It's called Brilliant Star. It's rare to get nowadays. I have had this bottle for decades now. Small amounts on special occasions."

"My visit is a special occasion then?" Sierra smiled.

"Of course, you are my most special friend. I waited for this day for a long time. Actually since I started working for Torchwood." Jack sat on his desk chair and Sierra twirled around, now sitting face to face with him.

"Are you flirting with me?" She frowned with a smile.

"Maybe."

"Not gonna work."

"I can always try." Jack touched her cheek gently.

"I _can_ kiss you but there's no way you are going to get in my pants." Sierra pulled back a bit, giving a stern look to the Immortal. She could already sense the 51st century pheromones and tried to keep her head clear.

"I know. You have the same principals as always. And I'm not that impossible. Not with you." He reached up and after getting his left hand behind her neck, pulled her into a kiss. Sierra managed to place her glass on the desk before giving in and wrapping her arms around his neck. She would never admit it to herself but she had really needed this. A proper snog with someone. And the Doctor it couldn't be because he was reserved to Rose. Sierra wouldn't even try to step between them. They deserved each other and should enjoy every moment they had before Canary Wharf.

None of those thoughts were going on in her head though. Actually she wasn't thinking anything, just enjoying the kiss(snog). Jack's one hand was still behind her neck and his arm had snaked its way around her waist, pulling her body even closer. His tongue touched Sierra's lips carefully and she parted them, allowing him to access.

Some moments later they finally pulled apart, both breathless. Sierra looked at Jack her eyes slightly glazed before leaning her head against his shoulder. He kept his arms around her.

"Was this the first time you kissed me?" She asked after a few minutes of silence.

"First like this, yeah."

"Was it any good?"

"Amazing." There was a grin in his voice.

"This was my first snog with anyone in this universe. First proper snog ever actually."

"I know… What? Really? Your first proper snog?"

"Never dated anyone. I'm sure I must have mentioned it. Rose and the Doctor know.

"Yeah, I remember now."

"Happy?"

"I am."

"I still don't have a crush on you." Sierra looked up at him. Jack looked back.

"I know. And neither do I." He shifted her a bit and made her sit straighter on his lap. He still had his arms loosely around her waist. "Let's go to the shooting range."

"Why?"

"I remember that at Game Station you had a gun and you refused to tell anyone where you had gotten it." He grinned.

"Stunner?"

"That too. And I bet you have never shot before."

"I haven't."

"Let's go then."

* * *

The shooting range was a floor down the main area and even darker than it. The target boards were there and so was the table where some guns already were.

"You prepared this beforehand." Sierra pointed out when the stopped by the table.

"Yeah, that I did. Here." Jack took one of the guns and gave it to the girl. "Not a regular one we use here. This is more…"

"Extra-terrestrial?" Sierra asked and took the weapon. She turned it carefully in her hands before taking a proper grip but not yet placing her finger on the trigger.

"Yes. You see the switches on the side?" Jack pointed some blue switches. "They are for different strengths of stunning. As aliens are different size and work differently. You do know."

"That I do." Sierra smiled. "How about these?" She pointed some red ones.

"Those are the laser and blasting ones. To kill and destroy."

"I see."

"And now the first test." Jack gave her a pair of yellow plastic glasses. Similar ones he'd given Gwen too.

"'kay." Sierra put them on and faced the target boards properly. She could feel Jack moving closer to her while giving instructions. God, this was so Gwen and Torchwood episode two…

"And…" He whispered and Sierra pulled the trigger. Almost bulls eye. She grinned and Jack took a step backwards. "Good. In real situations you'll do just fine."

"Did you just tell me a spoiler?" Sierra glanced at him sideways.

"No, just reassured you about your skills." He leaned closer and pulled her in another kiss.

"Mmm-mh." Sierra moaned and they pulled apart. She had a twisted smile on her face.

"What?"

"This." Sierra held up the gun she still had and placed it on the table. "Even though I had put the safety on…" She murmured against his lips as they touched again. A series of short kisses ensued. Sierra reached tiptoes and wrapped her arms around Jack's neck again.

"I knew you were going to do it." Came the response between the kisses.

"Oh yeah?" Sierra looked him in the eye while staying mere cents apart from him.

"Yeah. You are always making sure things don't go off by accident."

"Uuu… spoilers." Sierra grinned, rolling the 'r' on the tip of her tongue. Suddenly an intercom binged and they heard Tosh's voice.

"_Jack, there's been a Weevil sighting. Owen and Suzie are already on the way to the SUV."_

Jack strode to the wall and pressed a button of the intercom. "We'll be there in a sec." He turned to look at Sierra. "Well, Sierra Adler. What do you think about Weevil hunting?"

"I thought you wouldn't even ask me, Jack Harkness." Sierra smirked and they left the shooting range but not after she had holstered her new gun and gotten a few extra batteries for it.

* * *

Owen was driving and Jack was on the passenger's seat while Tosh, Suzie and Sierra were on the back. For some reason Sierra was sitting on the middle. Probably because she was the youngest and smallest. And the other two had to work with their computers.

"Here we are." The SUV stopped and they climbed down. They were in front of a large warehouse. Jack looked at them. "Alright, Tosh and Sierra are with me. We go to the left side door, Owen, Suzie you go to the right. Hopefully we get it trapped."

"And most likely there is going to be a ship container maze there." Sierra shrugged her denim jacket on. It was rather chilly there. Actually a typical Cardiff weather. Grey and it could rain at any moment.

"Yes." Jack nodded. "Let's go."

They stepped into the warehouse. The lights were on which was weird. There shouldn't have been anyone else than the Torchwood Three(+Sierra) and the Weevil. The containers were stacked on the floor. A maze. Wonderful…

"This is weird…" Jack said quietly as they walked between the aisles.

"You noticed it too?" Sierra looked up. The lights were flashing now.

"Tosh, what does the scanner say?"

"No other life forms except us and the Weevil. It's about thirteen meters to right and five meters forwards." The technician answered.

"Okay, let's hurry." They started jogging towards the place where the Weevil was. When they reached the place, Owen and Suzie came from the other direction. But the weevil was nowhere in sight.

"Where is it?" Owen asked. "It was supposed to be here!" He turned to look at Suzie who had the other scanner.

"It's… not here anymore." The woman stared the screen in confusion.

"It had supposed to be right here…" Tosh continued a frown on her face.

"Jack, would you help me a bit?" Sierra walked to one container. "I need to open this one."

"Why?" Jack asked but helped Sierra up to open the container.

"Are you sure that the alien signature belongs to a Weevil? Because…" Sierra opened the container. Inside it was a statue of an angel that had its hands in front of its face, like it was crying. "There is just a Weeping Angel here."

"What's a Weeping Angel?" Tosh asked immediately.

"An alien. When you look at it, it becomes quantum-locked and looks like a normal statue. But then you blink, you look away, you turn around. And it moves. If they are weak they just snap your neck, but normally they give you a slow death…" Sierra explained, keeping her eyes on the angel.

"What kind of slow death?" Owen asked with a frown.

"They send you back in time. You stay there and live your life until your death. The Angel in the other hand feeds itself from you potential time stream." Jack answered. He had heard of them a couple of times but never encountered it.

"Potential time stream, in the other words the life you could have had here." Sierra nodded. "And they are everywhere. All the statues. They suck energy around themselves which is why the lights are flickering. Normally if people see them moving they just shrug it off. New York is one of the worst places."

"How so?" Tosh asked curiously.

"The Statue of Liberty. An image of an Angel becomes an Angel. You can't make a drawing or a recording or a photo about it because it will come out of the picture and become a new Angel. It can even get inside your head if you stare it in the eyes for too long time."

"What do we do now then?" Owen huffed.

"We leave and take this container with us. The Weevil is gone by now. I suppose the people who were here last time are gone too which is why the lights were still on."

"Isn't there any way to destroy it?" Suzie pointed her gun at the statue.

"No. It's stone and not really even here at the moment. You can't destroy it and even if you manage to damage it somehow, it will just suck energy – nuclear is their favorite – and restore itself." Sierra sighed and pulled the door closed. With Jack's help she locked them. The Captain took a look at the paper on the door before ripping it off for a closer observation.

"This has been shipped from New York for being placed in front of the Town Hall." He frowned.

"New York, the real city of Angels, not Los Angeles." Sierra mused.

_BANG!_

They all jumped. A dent had appeared on the door of the container.

"We better hurry."

**(A/N: Something clever happens now. I'm not sure what and I'm too lazy to think about it. I hope you have some ideas.)**

* * *

They drove back to the Plass and stopped halt when a huge bolt of lightning shot out of the TARDIS roof and into the sky.

"It's the rift. The rift's opening!" They heard someone shouting as he ran towards the phone box. Sierra and Jack identified him as the Doctor. Storm clouds were gathering above the TARDIS.

"I gotta go too…" Sierra jumped out of the car. She looked in the passenger window and gave a quick peck on the Immortal's cheek. "See you again, Jack."

"See you, Sierra." He smiled. "Contact us in ten minutes. So we'll help." Sierra tapped the Bluetooth in her ear with a smile and ran off.

* * *

The Doctor and Margaret hurried across the Millennium Square, the ground starting to crack beneath their feet. Sierra ran a few meters after them. The Doctor fit the key inside the lock of the TARDIS and pulled the Slitheen-in-disguise inside. Sierra stepped in right after them.

"Hello, missed me?" She grinned. The whole ship was shuddering, the lights blinking.

"What the hell are you doing?!" The Doctor yelled to Jack.

"It just went crazy!" He yelled back, an edge of panic in his voice. The Time Lord ran to the console, Sierra hot on his heels.

"It's the rift! Time and space are ripping apart. The whole city's gonna disappear!" Small explosions erupted from the console as the Doctor, Sierra and Jack worked furiously.

"It's the extrapolator! I've disconnected it but it's still feeding off the engine! It's _using_ the TARDIS - I can't stop it!" Jack shouted.

"Never mind Cardiff - it's gonna rip open the planet!" The Doctor told him. Rose bursted into the TARDIS.

"What is it? What's happening?!" She asked.

"Oh, just little ME!" The Slitheen announced gleefully. She freed one of her arms from the skin-suit revealing the Slitheen claw. She grabbed Rose around the neck. The Doctor darted forward, but... "One wrong move and she snaps like a promise."

"I might've known." He sighed.

"I've had you bleating all night, poor baby, now shut it. You - fly boy - put the extrapolator at my feet."

Jack hesitated but Margaret tightened her grip around Rose's neck. Jack looked at the Doctor for help - he nodded. Sierra took the extrapolator.

"A lot of trouble you've gotten into while I was gone." She sighed and gave the device to the Slitheen.

"And when did you come?" The Doctor asked, noticing her for the first time.

"Right after you."

"Thank you. Just as I planned." The Slitheen smiled.

"I thought you needed to blow up the nuclear power station." Rose managed to choke ou

"Failing that - if I were to be... arrested... then anyone capable of tracking me down would have considerable technology of their own. Therefore, they would be captivated by the extrapolator. Especially a magpie mind like yours, Doctor. So the extrapolator was programmed to go to Plan B!" Margaret pulled one of Rose's plaits roughly. Rose whimpered. "To lock onto the nearest alien power source and open the rift. And what a power source it found... I'm back on schedule... thanks to you."

"The rift's gonna convulse - she'll destroy the whole planet." Jack said. Sierra tapped the Bluetooth.

"Heard that?"

"_Yeah, we are doing our best to prevent that. Continue like it's supposed to go."_ Came the reply from… well, Jack.

"Got it."

"And you with it!" Margaret told them, not noticing the short conversation Sierra had just had. She pushed Rose aside so she could stand on the extrapolator - but still kept a hold of her neck. "While I ride this board over the crest of the inferno all the way to freedom. Stand back boys... surf's up."

"_Okay, we're sucking the Rift energy to the manipulator. We have mere minutes to hold it still until we have to release it back to its original place. Acts like a rubber band."_ Sierra heard.

"I see. Thank you very much. It lessens the pressure on the Tardis and weakens the extrapolator." She answered.

* * *

Outside, there was a burst of lightning from the TARDIS light. Inside, a panel of the console directly in front of Margaret suddenly bursted open, and a blinding white light flooded out. Margaret looked at it in surprise, then up at the Doctor on the other side of the console. Sierra shielded her eyes.

"Of course, opening the rift means you'll pull this ship apart." The Doctor said calmly.

"So sue me." The Slitheen sneered.

"It's not just any old power source. It's the TARDIS. My TARDIS. The best ship in the universe."

"It'll make wonderful scrap."

"What's that light?" Rose asked while struggling against the hold around her neck.

"The heart of the TARDIS. This ship's alive. You've opened its soul." The Doctor told them all.

"It's ... so bright..." Margaret said dreamily.

"Look at it, Margaret..."

"... Beautiful..."

"Look inside, Blon Fel Fotch. Look at the light."

"How long?" Sierra asked frantically through the Bluetooth.

"_Two minutes. The heart of Tardis is opened to its sucking the energy from here too."_

Rose stumbled out of the way as the hold around her neck eased. Jack caught her. Margaret continued to stare into the light, a blissful smile spreading across her face. Then she looked up at the Doctor who smiled slightly.

"Thank you…" She was engulfed by the light, and when it cleared, her body-suit flopped on top of the extrapolator, empty. The Doctor immediately darted around the console.

"Don't look - stay there - close your eyes!" He told the humans. He slammed down levers and the gap in the console closed, shutting out the white light. "Now, Jack, come on - shut it all down. Shut down! Rose, that panel over there - turn all the switches to the right. Sierra take that lever and hold in the forty-six degree angle looking from right."

They worked busily, the console exploding with sparks. And finally, the shaking lessened and the lightening shooting from the top of the TARDIS into the sky disappeared, all back to normal.

"_Ten seconds…"_

"Everything alright." Sierra sighed, leaning heavily against the console.

"_Good… Hey, Tosh, release the energy!"_

"Nicely done. Thank you, all." The Doctor told the three.

"What happened to Margaret?" Rose asked.

"Must've got burnt up. Carried out her own death sentence." Jack thought aloud.

"No. I don't think she's dead." The Doctor looked down at the body-suit.

"Then, where'd she go?"

"She looked into the heart of the TARDIS, and even I don't know how strong that is. And the ship's telepathic - like I told you, Rose. Gets inside your head. Translates alien languages. Maybe the raw energy can translate all sorts of thoughts..." He kneeled down next to the skin-suit for a closer look. Rose and Jack followed suit, so all three of them are huddled around it. Sierra plopped on the jump seat. The Doctor reached inside the skin-suit and pulled out an egg. "Here she is!"

"She's an egg?" Rose asked, stunned.

"Regressed to her childhood."

"She's an egg?" Jack repeated.

"She can start again! Live her life from scratch. If we take her home, give her to a different family, tell 'em to bring her up properly, she might be all right!"

"Or she might be worse." Jack pointed out.

"That's her choice."

"She's an egg." Rose said again.

"She's an egg." The Doctor confirmed.

"Oh, my God. Mickey-." Rose dashed out of Tardis. Sierra in the other hand was talking to her earpiece.

"Yeah, we are leaving at any second now… As soon as Rose comes back." She didn't notice Jack watching her suspiciously while the Doctor fiddled with the console. "Yeah, I promise to come and visit you again at some point. Oh, gotta go now… My help seems to be needed… Bye." Sierra smiled as she heard the Immortal's last word before shutting the connection.

"_Don't forget to be awesome."_

* * *

Rose walked back into the TARDIS, where the three were working with the console. Sierra wasn't exactly sure how she knew what to do but she suspected that Timmy and Tardis had something to do with it.

"We're all powered up. We can leave. Opening the rift filled us up with energy - we can go. If that's all right..." The Doctor said and looked at the blonde.

"Yeah, fine." Rose said. Her tone was light and almost happy – false happy – but there was tear marks on her cheeks.

"How's Mickey?"

"He's okay. He's gone."

"D'you wanna go and find him? We'll wait..." The Doctor and Jack glanced at one another.

"No need. He deserves better."

"Oh, Rose…" Sierra walked to the other girl and gave her a bone-crushing hug which she returned. The rest of the comforting words were stuck in the brunette's throat but turned out there was no need for them.

"Off we go, then. Always moving on..." The Doctor stated then, turning away from the scene and pulling a lever.

"Next stop, Raxacoricofallapatorius. Now, you don't often get to say that." Jack announced with a smirk.

"Can you say it really fast?" Sierra asked as she plopped back on the chair.

"Of course I can!"

"So, we'll just stop by and pop her in the hatchery. Margaret the Slitheen can live her life again! A second chance." The Doctor interrupted them. Rose was staring into space.

"That'd be nice..." The blonde said quietly. Sierra noticed her down mood and pulled Rose to sit next to her.

"C'mon, Rose, the next adventure is waiting!"

"Ye-yeah." Rose managed to smile finally. "Speaking of adventures… What did you do while were saving the Earth?"

"Just catching up with a friend and chasing an alien that wasn't the alien we thought it would be." Sierra waved her hand dismissively.

"Is that where you got that gun?" Rose looked at the weapon that was still strapped on Sierra's right thigh.

"Umm, yes. It's just a stunner though. He let me keep it."

"He? The mystery friend you met was _he_?" Jack asked, leaning against the console and smirking widely to Sierra.

"Yes, he was he."

"Who exactly?" The man continued. "You seem much happier after meeting him."

"Oh, just my best friend I can rely on whenever I need him." Sierra smiled mysteriously.

"Tell me more." Jack walked to the girls.

"Nope. And if I were you, I'd watch it, Harkness. I might flirt, I might kiss, but there is no way you'd get into my pants." Sierra suddenly heard a muffled laugh from her earpiece and cursed in her mind. Of course the future Jack would eavesdrop after hacking in with Toshiko's help. She yanked the earpiece from her ear and stuffed it inside her pocket.

* * *

"She noticed us…" Jack grinned at Hub and placed his earpiece on his office table.

"Tell me, Jack why you wanted to eavesdrop your… past self?" Suzie asked.

"Just because I remember Sierra suddenly taking off her earpiece. Why else she would've done that except me listening in the other end?" The Captain grinned and glanced at the two glasses on his desk. Happy memories…

At the outside the TARDIS faded away.

* * *

**A/N: Done. Here you are. I hope you liked it :) Now please reviews! I really need them. And I'm sorry I'm not sure when I'm going to update for the next time but I hope you'll continue reading this nevertheless. Thank you!**


	12. The Big Bad Wolf

**A/N: I'm still alive! adn I decided to take a look on the stats of this fic. And what did I see!**

**1. Reviews: 56!**

**2. Followers: 51!**

**3. Favorites: 44!**

**4. Views: 3109!**

**Thank you so much! Thank you thank youa thankdyou thank youuuuuu! I'm so happy! XD**

**And special thanks for TimeLady-Mararder who found this fic during this week and reviewed multiple times! You really made my day! As a thank you I'll answer to your reviews! (And no to everyone else, this is not favorism, she just cheered me up so much! and yes, I'm thankful for your reviews too and by no means I'm not ignoring them. But this was multiple reviews in a day or so!)**

**-Chapter 1: First of all thank you for reviews and opinions. I'm happy that I managed to move you even if it was to sadness. And I wholeheatedly agree with you in this ignoring thing. Thankfully I'm not ignored among my friends though even if Sierra happens to be. Sierra's loneliness is for the sake of story you see.**

**-Chapter 2: Yes, I wanna be your friend!**

**-Chapter 3: He did. He really did that but thankfully Sierra is strongminded and -willed and managed to push him away. I think her more like 'her' than 'me' because she is much more badass and much braver than I.**

**-Chapter 4: What did I write to the A/N? *goes to check* Hmm... which one do you mean? the one on the top or on the bottom? I guess you mean the bottom one witht the Gatiss and Moffat comment.**

**-Chapter 6: A brother-sister relationship sounds about right yeah *nods* it's a bit hard to determine...**

**-Chapter 8: Stalker comment? What the-? I've totally forgotten what I've written. *goes to check* I didn't find it... -.-"**

**-Chapter 10: Yeah, Chamelaon Circuit totally rules! I want their CDs...**

**-Chapter 11: :D**

**But now to the story! This is the third last chapter before the next season!**

* * *

**12. Huffing and bluffing  
(The Bad Wolf)**

They were travelling in the Time Vortex, laughing and listening to Travelling Man from Chameleon Circuit, when it happened. The light in the walls and they disappeared. Sierra cursed in her mind. Why this had to happen this soon? She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to end up to some place she could get out soon.

* * *

Rose was lying on the floor of a darkened room, in a beam of light. She was just starting to regain consciousness. She looked around, bemused and tired. She could see Sierra lying next to her. The brunette was still asleep.

"What happened?" A man was crouching beside her, observing her.

"It's all right... It's the transmat, does your head in." He told her. Rose looked around at her surroundings, blinking hard. "Get a bit of amnesia. What's your name?"

"…Rose. But... where's the Doctor?" There was an edge of panic and hysteria in her voice.

"Just remember - do what the Android says. Don't provoke it. The Android's word is law."

"What d'you mean, android? Like... a robot? And what about…" Rose looked at Sierra, trying to remember her name. "…Sierra? She isn't waking up."

"Soon she will." The man told her and right in his words the other girl got and electrical shock and sat up quickly. She looked around as a voice called out.

"Positions, everyone! Thank you!"

"What is this? Where am I?" Sierra asked in confusion before her memory about the events flooded back, accompanied by a headache. "Arrh!" She bended forward, grabbing her head both hands.

"Come on. Hurry up!" The man, Rodrick, helped first Rose and then Sierra on their feet. "Steady, steady..." Rose hung on to him for support while Sierra shot him a glare. She remembered everything now and didn't like the man at all.

"I was travelling. With the Doctor and Sierra and a man called Captain Jack...? The Doctor wouldn't just leave me..." Rose told Rodrick.

"That's enough chat! Positions! Final call!" The Floor Manager was standing next to a robot, which was being attended to by technicians. The robot stood on a platform around which were six podiums. "Good luck!"

Rodrick smiled slightly in anticipation and looked at Rose and Sierra.

"But we're not supposed to be here." Rose said in confusion and fear.

"Relax Rose, everything will be fine. It might take some time but I promise you won't be hurt." Sierra reassured the girl. Rose managed a smile to her. When Sierra said it was going to be alright, she knew what was going on and what she was talking about.

"Well, it says Rose on the podium..." Rodrick stated slowly, not quite believing the brunette's words. Rose looked at the podiums, her name lit up. At another podium Sierra's name lit up. She sighed. "Come on!" Rodrick dashed off and climbed up to stand behind his podium. Slowly Rose took her place behind her own podium. Sierra had already gone to hers and seemed slightly bored.

"Hold on... I must be going mad." Rose realized suddenly, looking around.

"No, you aren't." Sierra remarked.

"But it can't be. This looks like the-."

"Android activated!" The Floor Manager announced. The Android sprung to life, raising her face up.

"Oh, my God. The Android. The Anne... Droid." Rose gasped.

"**Welcome, to 'The Weakest Link'!" **The Anne Droid said.

"Hey, Rose. One favor, I want to get out of here pretty quickly so… No matter how well I answer to the questions, vote me." Sierra said to the blonde.

"But…"

"I'll be fine but in order to help you and others, I need to get out of here. Timmy isn't working in this room." She whispered furiously so Rodrick wouldn't hear. "But now go on like you weren't sure what to do."

"Okay…"

"But I need to find the Doc-." Rose tried again to tell Rodrick.

"Just… shut up and play the game!" He snapped her.

"All right then. What the hell? I'm gonna play to win!" She smiled. Rodrick looked distractedly at her, clearly thinking she's slightly mad.

"3, and cue!"

"**Let's play 'The Weakest Link'! Start the clock… Agorax - the name of which basic food stuff is an anagram of the word 'beard'?"**

"Bread." The contestant, Agorax, answered.

"**Correct. Sierra - in the Pan Traffic Calendar, which month comes after Hoob?"**

"Pandoff." Sierra answered, remembering the question. That and she had spent lately her time studying in Tardis's library.

"**Correct. Rose, in maths, what is 258 minus 158?"**

"One hundred!" The blonde told the Droid, looking extremely pleased with herself.

"**Correct. Rodrick -."**

"Bank." The man interrupted.

"**Which letter of the alphabet appears in the word 'dangle' but not in the word 'gland'?"**

"…E."

"**Correct! Colleen - in social security, what D is the name of the payment given to Martian Drones?"**

"Default."

"**Correct. Broff - the Great Cobalt Pyramid is built on the remains of which famous Old Earth Institute?**

"T- Touchdown."

"**No - Torchwood. Agorax - in language, all five examples of which type of letter appear in the word 'facetious'?**

"Vowels."

"**Correct. Sierra - in biology, which blood cells contain iron - red or white?"**

"Red." Sierra said confidently. Biology was her strong area. At least had been back home.

"**Correct. Rose - in the holovid series 'Jupiter Rising', the Grexnik is married to whom?"**

"How should I know?" Rose laughed at the absurdity of the situation. Sierra resisted the urge to facepalm.

"**No, the correct answer is Lord Drayvole. Rodrick - in maths, what is nine squared?"**

* * *

Some more questions later came the elimination round. When asked, Sierra had chosen Rose because 'no one had given her a vote yet'. The blonde looked at her but understood that the brunette wanted to get out thus didn't vote anyone who had gotten any other votes.

"**So, Rose. What do you actually do?" **Anne Droid asked.

"I just travel about a bit. Bit of a... tourist, I suppose."

Rodrick, holding up a card saying 'Sierra', glanced sideways at her. He wanted to get rid of the other girl who had gotten all of her answers right.

"**Another way of saying 'unemployed'."**

"No."

"**Have you got a job?"**

"Well... I… not really…"

"She is a shop assistant." Sierra interrupted but no one seemed to listen to her, like her mike or something had been turned off.

"**Then you ARE unemployed! And yet, you've STILL got enough money to buy peroxide. Why Sierra?"**

"She isn't playing this game to win." Rose said confidently, like Sierra had instructed. "...that's all."

"**Oh, you'd know all about that. Not taking this seriously."**

"Actually no, but I can't vote for myself, so it had to be Sierra..." Rose trailed off, a bit confused about the nature of this game. "I'm sorry... that's the game. That's how it works... I had to vote for someone."

"It's alright." Sierra grinned.

"**In fact, with three answers wrong, Broff was the weakest link in that round, but - it's votes that count."**

"Rose, kick their butts. I'll see you later." Sierra winked and closed her eyes. Rodrick looked away. Broff sobbed silently into the board he was holding up. Rose glanced back at the Anne Droid.

"**Sierra - you are the weakest link. Goodbye!" **The Anne Droid's mouth opened, and a gun protrudes from it. Without a moment's hesitation, it fired, a thick and fast bolt of golden light. It hit Sierra - and the girl was gone. The gun retreated back into the Anne Droid's mouth. Rose looked back, having hidden her face, to see only smoke billowing where Sierra had once stood.

"And we've gone to the adverts. Back in three minutes..." The Floor manager told.

"Wassat? What's just happened?" Rose asked Rodrick.

"She was the weakest link and pretty suicidal, if you ask me. She got disintegrated." Rose made a small noise at the back of her throat. Rodrick rolled his eyes. "Blasted into atoms."

"But I voted for her. Oh, my God. This is sick." Her words rang around the silent studio. The contestants glanced at her. "All of ya, you're just sick! I'm not playing this-."

"I'm not playing!" Broff whimpered. "I... I can't do it." The Anne Droid turned to him slowly. Broff leaped off his podium and tried to run for it. "I'm not- please, somebody let me-."

"**You are the weakest link." **The Droid fired. Broff disappeared in mid-run.** "Goodbye."**

Rose was staring, mouth open, shocked and absolutely disgusted. Rodrick shuffled, uncomfortable. The Anne Droid turned back to the remaining contestants.

"But she said to see me. She asked me to vote for her." Rose whispered.

"Maybe in the next life. Like I said, suicidal."

"No, she promised to help me!"

"She wanted out of here and she did. She died and lied to you. So rip your illusions about this already and don't try to escape. It's play... or die."

* * *

Sierra woke up slowly. She found herself at some corridor in some floor. She had no idea where she was. After all she had put Timmy on a randomizer that would activate as soon as possible. In this case it meant the moment she was disintegrated. She sat up slowly since this time she hadn't been woken up by an electric shock.

"Alright…" Sierra took off her back pack. She was relieved it hadn't been taken off from her. After a bit of rummaging she found her gun and its holster. She attached them on her waist and tied one strap around her thigh, like she had worn it during Boom Town. Then she got up, looking around. The corridor was deserted. There were only some control panels on the walls. Sierra walked one of them. In her left hand she had her Sonic Light and in the right hand she held her gun. For now it was only on stunning level 2, majority human-sized and flesh aliens(sans Time Lords) went down by it. "Let's see where I am…"

* * *

After going through the door, the Doctor and Lynda found themselves on Floor 56 of Satellite Five.

"Hold on... I've been here before. This is Satellite Five!" The Doctor opened the door to the side room with his Sonic Screwdriver and they stepped through it. He whirred on a control panel. "No guards. That makes a change. You'd think a big business like Satellite Five would be armed to the teeth."

"No one's called it Satellite Five in ages. It's the Game Station now. Hasn't been Satellite Five in about a hundred years." Lynda told him.

"A hundred years exactly. It's the year two zero-zero/one zero-zero. I was here before. Floor 139. Satellite was broadcasting news channels back then... had a bit of trouble upstairs. Nothing too serious. Easy - gave 'em a hand - home in time for tea."

"A hundred years ago?"

The Doctor placed his hand on a touch-sensitive pad to open a door, with no luck.

"What, you were here a hundred years ago?"

The Doctor whirred around the edges of the door with his sonic screwdriver. "Yep!"

"You're looking good on it..."

"I moisturise." He looked at the Sonic Screwdriver. "Funny sorts of readings. All kinds of energy... the place is humming. It's weird. This goes way beyond normal transmissions. What would they need all that power for?"

"I dunno. I think we're the first ever contestants to get outside." Lynda shrugged.

"I had three friends travelling with me. They must've got caught in the same transmat. Where would they be?"

"I dunno. They could've been allocated anywhere. There's a hundred different games."

"Like what?"

"Well, there's ten floors of 'Big Brother'. There's a different House behind each of those doors. And then beyond that, there's all sorts of shows. It's non-stop. There's um... 'Call My Bluff'... with real guns... 'Countdown', where you've got thirty seconds to stop the bomb going off... 'Ground Force', which is a nasty one... you get turned into compost. Erm... 'Wipeout', speaks for itself... oh! And 'Stars In Their Eyes'. Literally, stars in their eyes. If you don't sing, you get blinded."

"And you watch this stuff?" The Doctor asked incredulously.

"Everyone does. How come you don't?"

"Never paid for my license." He shrugged.

"Oh, my God! You get executed for that!" The young woman was shocked.

"Let them try."

"You keep saying things that don't make sense. But who are you though, Doctor? Really?"

"Doesn't matter." And he walks away to try the next door.

"Well, it does to me... I've just put my life in your hands."

"I'm just a traveller, wandering past. Believe it or not, all I'm after is a quiet life."

"So... if we get out of here, what're you gonna do? Just... wander off again?"

"Fast as I can."

"So... I could come with ya." Lynda smiled, waiting for an answer. The Doctor looked away from the lock and studied her properly.

"Maybe you could."

"I wouldn't get in the way."

"I wouldn't mind if you did. Not a bad idea, Lynda with a Y. But first of all, we've gotta concentrate on the getting out." He scanned the edges of a door. "And to do that, you've got to know your enemy - who's controlling it - who's in charge of the satellite now?"

"Hold on..." Lynda ran to the opposite end of the room and pulled down a lever, which illuminated huge letters on the wall. They said 'Bad Wolf Corporation'. "Your Lords and Masters."

The Doctor gazed up at the letters in wonder and confusion.

"_As if."_ They suddenly heard. The Doctor looked down at the Sonic Screwdriver. Had he really heard Sierra's voice from it? He lifted it up on the level of his face.

"Sierra?"

"_That's my name yeah. Would you Sonic some control pad now, so we can talk face to face?"_ The Doctor did as requested and one screen flickered to life. Sierra's face appeared on the screen. _"Hiya! I wired up my cell phone and Sonic together to make this call. You really should get a phone, Doc."_ She grinned.

"Where are you?"

"_No idea. I've tried to find out ever since I escaped but it's pretty deserted here. Got my gun ready though, just in case… By the way, Jack would've escaped by now. Coming to you. I'll found my way back to the floor…"_ There was some whirring noise as she Soniced a control pad. _"…something…"_

"Escaped? How?" Lynda gasped.

"_Is that Lynda with a 'Y'? The reception is pretty bad here. Nice to meet you!"_ Sierra smiled and seemed to whack the screen at her end.

"You said you escaped. Where were you?" The Doctor asked finally.

"_With Rose. I made her vote for me so I could escape. Gotta go now. See ya!"_ The screen went dead again.

"She got herself voted out and she's alive?" Lynda asked in astonishment. "How?"

"I don't know but I'm going to find out."

* * *

Jack had managed to find the Doctor, and was now standing with him and Lynda on the observation deck.

"Can't you track her down?" The Time Lord asked the Captain.

"She must still be inside the games. All the rooms are shielded. Sierra in the other hand is on a lift, going up. She has been in the floor fourteen." Jack answered.

"If we can just get inside this computer... She's _got_ to be here somewhere."

"Well, you'd better hurry up. These games don't have a happy ending."

"You think I don't know that?" The Doctor snapped. "We three and Sierra managed to escape, there has to be a way to get Rose out too."

Jack backed down and gave the Doctor his wrist-device. "There you go." The Doctor snatched it from him. "Patch that in. It's programmed to find her."

"Thanks."

"Hey there!" Jack shook Lynda's hand.

"Hello!" She answered.

"Captain Jack Harkness."

"Lynda Moss."

"Nice to meet you, Lynda Moss!"

"D'you mind flirting outside?" The Doctor asked without looking up.

"I was just saying hello!"

"For you, that's flirting."

"I'm not complaining." Lynda smiled to Jack. He kissed her hand.

"Which is a good idea."

"Oh!"

The system in the wrist device bleeped in protest. "It's not compatible. This stupid system doesn't make sense." The Doctor chucked it to Lynda, and then wrenched the front of the computer away with Jack's help. He snatched the wrist-device back then. "This place should be a basic broadcaster. The systems are twice as complicated. It's more than just television... this station's transmitting something else."

"Like what?" Jack asked.

"I don't know. This whole Bad Wolf thing's tied up with me. Someone's manipulating my entire life. It's some sort of trap and Rose is stuck inside it."

The wrist-device bleeped.

"Found her! Floor 407!"

Lynda gasped in horror. "Oh, my God! She's with the Anne Droid! You've gotta get her out of there!"

"Sierra was there too, didn't she say?" Jack frowned.

"Yes, how in Rassilon did she get out?" The Doctor muttered as they raced to the lift.

"She said she got this Rose girl to vote her out. But I don't understand, she'd be dead then." Lynda talked in confusion.

"Maybe they couldn't kill her, just like they did in my case." The Doctor thought aloud when they stepped into the lift.

* * *

The Doctor, Jack and Lynda belted out of the lift on the Floor 407. The Anne Droid's voice rang out over the Floor. Sierra stood there and waved to them cheerily.

"Hiya, had to wait for you. This gun isn't strong enough to blast the door. And even if it were I'm not brave or stupid enough to use it without knowing the exact amount of power needed."

"_**Rodrick, in physics, who discovered the Fifteen-Dash-Ten Barric Fields?"**_ The Droid said.

"Game Room Six, which one is it?!" The Doctor drowned the Droid's voice out.

"Over here!" Lynda pointed the right direction.

"Hello, Sierra, nice to see you." Jack smiled to the girl as they dashed forward.

"You too, Jack." She smiled back. They reached the door and the Doctor whipped out the Sonic Screwdriver.

"_**... The correct answer is San Chen."**_

"Stand back, let me blast it open." Jack said.

"Can't, it's made of Hydra Combination." The Doctor answered. He pressed the sonic screwdriver to the touch-sensitive pad.

* * *

"**Rose, in history, which Icelandic city hosted Murder Spree Twenty?"**

Rose stared at the Anne Droid, who stared right back at her. Rodrick glanced at Rose. A tense silence.

"Reykjavik...?"

Rodrick looked back the Anne Droid anxiously. There was a few seconds pause.

"**No, the correct answer is Pola Ventura."**

Rose got a cross. The game was finished and Rodrick was one point up. An ecstatic smile spread across his face.

"Oh, my God! I've done it! You've lost!" He gloated.

"But I'm not meant to be here. I need to find the Doctor, he's got to be here somewhere- he's always here! He wouldn't just leave me!" Rose tried to explain, terrified.

"**Rodrick, you are the strongest link, you will be transported home with one thousand six hundred credits."**

"Oh, thank you, thank you so much."

"This game is illegal! I'm telling you to stop!" Rose shouted. Suddenly, the Floor Manager turned to look at a point off-set - the Doctor, Jack, Sierra and Lynda barged in through the door which was too far away.

"Rose!" The Doctor shouted in relief.

"Rose, duck!" Sierra yelled. The blonde stared at her in confusion. She was supposed to be dead, right?

"**Rose, you leave this life with nothing-."**

"Stop this game!" Jack yelled.

"I order you to stop this game!" The Doctor shouted to the staff.

"We're live on air!" The Floor Manager protested. The Doctor ran across the wide expanse of floor as fast as he could. Rose began to run towards him, pushing the podium out of the way.

"**You are the weakest link."**

"Look out for the Anne Droid, it's armed!" Rose told them.

"I'll handle it!" Sierra yelled and loaded her gun. She aimed. If there was one thing she could change right now, it was this.

Rose's running... The Anne Droid turned her head and her jaw hinged down. Sierra pulled the trigger. The disintegrator beam shot out, hitting Rose squarely in the back. Anne Droid's head blasted apart. With a scream, Rose was gone, mere feet away from the Doctor.

Sierra fell on her knees, she had failed. On that moment she didn't even remember how she had escaped, how the disintegrator didn't actually kill anyone. She was just numb, didn't even notice when Jack took off towards the set, raging.

"What the hell did you do to her?!" The man shouted.

The Doctor crouched down to the pile of dust that was Rose. The smoke cleared. He's absolutely in shock... The voices in the background were meaningless to him. He picked up a piece of the dust between his fingers, feeling it... He was just staring at it, broken.

"BACK off!" Jack brandished his gun at the staff.

"I need security and I need it here right now! It's this lot..." The Floor manager said to a mike. A security guard appeared behind the Doctor.

"Don't you touch him! Leave him alone!"

The security guard pulled the Doctor to his feet and placed a gun to his head. The Doctor had lost the will to resist and just let him do it.

"You killed her! Your stupid freaking game show killed her."

Sierra snapped back into the reality. Things flooded back into her mind. Rose wasn't killed, just misplaced. That's right. She got on her feet and slipped under the arms of the security guards and flipped her gun back on stunning, this time on level three. Shouldn't be harmful for humans. She aimed at Rodrick.

"Missed me?" She smiled evilly and pulled the trigger.

"Oh god, it's her! The suicidal girl! She-!" The 'winner' collapsed on the ground. Sierra stared at him coldly. If his nerve systems were damaged due the hit she didn't care. It served him right. Caring more about money than fellow human-beings. She hid her gun inside her backpack before the guards reached her and started to drag her to the Doctor and Jack. Because of the perception filter on her backpack they didn't even question the absence of her gun. Sierra turned to look at the Doctor. He was staring at the pile of ashes while his hands were tied. He looked empty and a tear was glistening in his eye.

* * *

"Sir, I'm arresting you under Private Legislation Sixteen of the Game Station Syndicate." A guard told the Time Lord. But none of them cared.

The four of them were sat on a bench in a prison cell as they were interrogated.

"Can you tell us how you got on board?" A security guard asked them.

"Just leave him alone-." Lynda snapped but the guard grabbed her chin, silencing her.

"I'm asking _him_." He released her and turned to the Doctor. "Sir? Can you tell us who you are?"

After taking the photo's they were back in there. Back in the cell.

"You will be taken from this place to the Lunar Penal Colony, there to be held without trial, you may not appeal against this sentence."

Neither Jack or the Doctor moved or made any acknowledgment to this statement, but Lynda shifted uncomfortably. Sierra was leaning against the wall, her hands behinds her head, whistling quietly some unrecognizable tune.

"Is that understood?"

No response. The Security Guard went to the gate and opened it.

"Let's do it." The Doctor said to Jack and Sierra. All four of them leapt to their feet. Jack punched and kicked his way through the gate. He tossed one guard aside, the Doctor throwing another easily against the wall, knocking him out. They all grabbed weapons and leave. An alarm went off.

"Oh well, here we go again!" Sierra laughed as she stunned people around her. They got to the lift.

"Floor 500." The Doctor said.

* * *

They stood in the lift when Lynda turned to Sierra.

"You still didn't tell how you escaped."

"I didn't." The girl grinned.

"How did you do it then?" Jack asked, keeping his eyes on the lift door.

"I told Rose to vote for me right at the first round so I could be disintegrated. My Vortex Manipulator didn't work in the room but when the beam hit me I was able to get to the floor 14."

"But I don't understand, you should be dead, a pile of dust." The woman frowned.

"That's the thing. Disintegrator doesn't kill you. It's actually a transmat." Sierra smiled but frowned then in mock thought. "I don't know should I have told that. The Doctor was supposed to find out later on his own… But it would have been in a couple of minutes anyways."

The Doctor turned to look at her. He was skeptical but despite the dark and determined look in his eyes, he managed to flash a smile to her. Sierra smiled back.

* * *

The lift doors opened. All the staff turned around, and the Doctor, Jack, Sierra and Lynda all strode out, armed to the teeth.

"Okay! Move away from the desk! Nobody try anything clever. Everybody clears!" Jack commanded. The staff scattered as the Doctor strode towards the Controller. "Stand to the sides. And stay there."

"Who's in charge of this place?" The Doctor demanded the Controller.

"_... 18... 19... 20..."_ The Controller counted.

"This Satellite's more than a Game Station." The Doctor continued.

"_79..."_

"Who killed Rose Tyler?" The Doctor asked. He couldn't let the people around know that he held a hope that she'd still be alive.

"_All staff are reminded that solar flares-."_

"I want an answer!"

"_... in delta point one."_

"She can't reply." A male programmer suddenly said. The Doctor swung the gun around to the staff, making them all flinch. "Don't shoot!"

"Oh, don't be so thick. Like I was ever gonna shoot." The Time Lord scoffed and he tossed the defabricator to the Male Programmer. "Captain, we've got more guards on the way up. Secure the exits."

"Yes, sir!" Jack went on his way.

"You - what were you saying?" The Doctor addressed the male programmer.

"But... I've got your gun." He said in confusion and fear.

"Okay, so shoot me. Why can't she answer?"

"She's, um... Can I put this down?"

"If you want, just hurry up."

"Thanks." He man put the gun down. "Sorry. Um... The Controller is linked to the transmissions. The entire output goes through her brain. You're not a member of staff so she doesn't recognize your existence."

"What's her name?"

"I don't know. She was installed when she was five years old. That's the only life she's ever known."

"Door's sealed. We should be safe for about ten minutes." Jack called as he came back.

"Keep an eye on 'em." The Doctor instructed.

"But that stuff you were saying about something going on with the Game Station - I think you're right." The male programmer continued. Jack's device bleeped. He read it and looked around. "Unauthorized transmats... it's been going on for years."

"Show me."

Jack placed his hand on the door to Archive Six. Sierra walked to him.

"You're not allowed in there! Archive Six is out of bounds!" A female programmer suddenly shouted, making them both jump.

"Do I look like an out-of-bounds sort of guy?" Jack asked, holding up two guns. He placed his hand on the pad and the door opens. They walked in. Jack smiled widely. In the middle of the room stood the TARDIS.

"Oh, look at this." Sierra hopped across the room and gave the phone box a hug. "Hello, old girl, missed us?" Jack grinned and fit the key into the lock.

* * *

They stepped in to the time machine. The TARDIS was humming a comforting, familiar sound. Slung casually over the handrail just inside the door was one of Rose's jackets. Jack paused, placing his hand on it briefly before moving on to the console. Sierra followed him and put a hand on his arm.

"We'll find her." She reassured the man.

"Yeah…" He checked the screen and leaned closer to it, clearly puzzled. "What the hell...?"

"What is it?" Sierra leaned closer too. Then they hurried back to the control room.

"Found the TARDIS!" Jack called to the Doctor.

"We're not leaving now." Came the response.

"No. But the TARDIS worked it out."

"Like I said. You have been pretty skeptical about the matter but now we can prove it for you." Sierra told him while Jack shoved the Male Programmer out of his chair.

"You'll wanna watch this."

The Doctor turned around to watch.

"Lynda, could you stand over there for me please?" Jack indicated a place near the desk.

"I- I just wanna go home." The woman sobbed.

"It'll only take a second. Could you stand in that spot, quick as you can?" Jack gave a smile to her. Lynda complied, and stood in an empty area of floor. "Everybody watching? Okay... three, two, one-."

He pressed a button and a disintegrator beamed shoots down from the ceiling and hit Lynda. There was nothing left but a billow of smoke. Sierra was shocked for a second. Every time she saw the beam she forgot for a second that in reality the person who was hit was actually alright. And it seemed that the Doctor was the same than her.

"But you killed her!" The Time Lord said.

"Oh, d'you think?" Jack raised an eyebrow and pressed the button again. Lynda reappeared next to the Doctor, slightly dazed but completely unharmed.

"...What the hell was that?" She asked. The Doctor looked to Jack and Sierra for an explanation.

"It's a transmat beam. Not a disintegrator - a secondary transmat system." The Captain told them. "People don't get killed in the games! They get transported across space! Doctor, Rose is still alive!"

"Like I've been trying to say!" Sierra shouted in expiration. The Doctor laughed in ecstatic relief. The three time travelers threw their arms around each other, grinning madly and so, so happily.

"She's out there somewhere!" The hug was over and the Doctor was dashing from a console to console.

"_Doctor!"_ The Controller said suddenly. Sierra could see the young looking and deathly pale woman was in pain but in determination, carrying on. _"Co-ordinates five point six point one-."_

"Don't! The solar flare's gone, they'll hear you!" The Doctor told her while typing them in.

"_Point four three four- no my masters, no! I defy you! Stigma seven seven-."_

She screamed. Sierra's hand flew on her mouth and a tear slipped down her cheek. The Doctor looked up, and the wires the Controller was attached to fall away, empty. There's nothing left but dust.

"They took her."

* * *

Jack was sitting at one of the computer terminals, the others gathered around him. Sierra sat on the table right next to him.

"Look, use that." The male programmer gave Jack a disk. "It might contain the final numbers. I kept a log of all the unscheduled transmissions."

"Nice... thanks..." Jack held out his hand then, eyeing the man in an entirely un-platonic manner. "Captain Jack Harkness, by the way..."

"I'm Davitch Pavale."

"Nice to meet you, Davitch Pavale..."

"Jack!" Sierra groaned.

"There's a time and a place." The Doctor added.

"Are you saying this entire set-up's been a disguise all along?" The female programmer asked them.

"Going way back. Installing the Jagrafess a hundred years ago. Someone's been playing a long game. Controlling the Human Race from behind the scenes for generations."

"Click on this." Jack handed a small device to the Time Lord. The Doctor took it, pointed it upwards, and clicked. An image of an empty expanse of space materialized above their heads. "The transmat delivers to that point. Right on the edge of the solar system." Jack explained.

"There's nothing there."

"It looks like nothing. 'Cause that's what this satellite does. Underneath the transmission, there's another signal..." The Doctor told them.

"Doing what?"

"Hiding whatever's out there. Hiding it from sonar, radar, scanner..." They all stared up at the blank expanse of space. "There's something sitting right on top of Planet Earth... but it's completely invisible. If I cancel the signal..."

He pressed a few buttons, and when he looked back at the screen, the expanse of space was no longer empty. Right in front of them was a spaceship, revolving slowly. The Doctor stared at it, eyes wide.

"Daleks." Sierra stated.

"That's impossible. I know those ships... they were destroyed." Jack almost stuttered as he saw the ships.

"Obviously, they survived." The Doctor huffed.

"Who did? Who are they?" Lynda asked fearfully.

"Two hundred ships. More than two thousand on board each one. That's just about half a million of them."

"Half a million what?" The male programmer asked.

"Like Sierra said, Daleks." On that moment the projection flickered and they could see Rose standing with some Daleks.

"_**I will talk to the Doctor."**_The first Dalek said.

"Oh, will you? That's nice. Hello!" The Doctor replied, waving at them mockingly, his fake grin fading rapidly.

"_**The Dalek Stratagem nears completion. The Fleet is almost ready. You will not intervene."**_

"Oh, really? Why's that then?"

"_**We have your associate. You will obey or she will be exterminated."**_

Rose, shaking, looked up at the Doctor on the screen.

"No." He said. As one, Jack, Lynda, the Male Programmer and the Female Programmer jerked their heads in his direction. Sierra looked away from him and the screen. Rose stared, mouth slightly open. What's he doing?

"_**Explain yourself."**_

"I said 'no'."

"_**What is the meaning of this negative?"**_

"It means 'no'."

"You should get a dictionary." Sierra said lightly.

"_**But she will be destroyed."**_

"No! 'Cos this is what I'm gonna do - I'm gonna rescue her." Rose listened, the pride evident in her eyes. The others(sans Sierra who looked at the opposite wall) glanced at him in awe. "I'm gonna save Rose Tyler from the middle of the Dalek Fleet, and then I'm gonna save the Earth, and then just to finish off, I'm gonna wipe every last STINKING Dalek outta the sky!"

"_**But you have no weapons! No defences! No plan!"**_

"Yeah. And doesn't that scare you to death? Rose?" The Doctor grinned.

"_Yes, Doctor?"_

"I'm coming to get you." He clicked the device, and the communication line closed. Sierra crossed her arms and smirked.

"So, what's the plan?"

**To Be Continued**

* * *

**A/N: Tadaa! Here was the chapter. The next one comes within a week. Tuesday or Wednesday as usual! See ya!**


	13. One step at the time, look forward

**A/N: Huzzaah! The last chapter of this fic based on an episode. Yes, there'll be another chapter before starting the second series. :D**

* * *

**13. Two paths forward  
(The Parting of the Ways)**

The Tardis hurtled through the space, dodging narrowly two missiles. The Doctor, Jack and Sierra were manning the controls frantically. The whole ship was shaking.

"We've got incoming!" Jack shouted.

The two missiles and the TARDIS hurtled towards each other and then collided, exploding with orange flame and obscuring the TARDIS from view.

"The extrapolator's working. We've got a fully functional forcefield. Try saying that when you're drunk..." Jack continued.

"And for my next trick..." The Doctor flicked the controls and the TARDIS materialized in the middle of a Dalek ship, surrounding both Rose and one of the Daleks. "Rose! Get down!" Rose floundered. The Dalek's eyestalk swiveled round. "Get down, Rose!" The Doctor said again and Rose threw herself to the floor.

"**Exterminate!"**

The Dalek fired at Jack who was holding the Defabricator. He deflects the ray back at the Dalek, that exploded with a scream. Rose winced. Smoke billowed from the remains of the Dalek, and Rose struggled to her feet.

"You did it!" The blonde breathed. The Doctor went over to Rose and without single word, put his arms around her in a tight embrace. "Feels like I haven't seem you in years."

"Told you I'd come and get you." The Doctor told her. They pulled away slightly.

"Never doubted it." Rose smiled.

"I did! You all right?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Not bad. Been better!" He went over to the smoldering remains of the Dalek and peered at it. Sierra walked to him.

"Can we just chuck it out?" She asked. The Doctor was carefully examining the Dalek with the Sonic Screwdriver. In a moment all four of them were bending over the Dalek, looking at it. The battle armour had been blasted away, giving them a clear view of the mutant inside.

"You said they were extinct. How comes they're still alive?" Rose asked.

"One minute they're the greatest threat in the universe, the next minute they vanished out of time and space." Jack told her.

"They went off to fight a bigger war... the Time War..." The Doctor said quietly.

"I thought that was just a legend." Jack said, surprised.

"I was there. The war between the Daleks and the Time Lords. With the whole of creation at stake. My people were destroyed, but they took the Daleks with them. I almost thought it was worth it. Now it turns out they died for nothing."

"There's thousands of them now. We could hardly stop _one_. What're we gonna do?" Rose asked.

"No good stood round here chin-wagging! Human race, you'd gossip all day. The Daleks have got the answers - let's go and meet the neighbours." The Doctor said cheerfulness in his voice again. And he headed off down the ramp.

"You can't go out there-!"

But the Doctor had already opened the door and stepped out.

"**Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!" **They heard outside. The Daleks were firing their bolts of energy, but the rays reflected off the forcefield of the TARDIS, keeping the Doctor safe, as well as Jack, Rose and Sierra who had cautiously popped their heads out behind him. The Daleks gave up, and the sound of their guns faded into silence. The Doctor raised his hands mockingly.

"Is that it? Useless! Nul points." He leaned against the TARDIS. "It's all right, come on out. That forcefield can hold back anything." He told the three.

"Almost anything." Jack retorted.

"...Yes, but I wasn't gonna tell them that. Thanks."

"Sorry."

The Daleks were silent, watching them. The Doctor stepped forward to address them.

"D'you know what they call me in the ancient legends of the Dalek Homeworld? The Oncoming Storm. You might've removed all your emotions... but I reckon that right down deep in your DNA, there's one little spark left. And that's fear." He told them and right in his words, the Dalek's eyepieces twitched nervously. "Doesn't it just _burn_ when you face me? So, tell me - how did you survive the Time War?"

"**They survived through me." **A voice said. The Doctor turned around, startled. He took a few steps towards the voice, and the Dalek Emperor was illuminated, towering above all of them. The Doctor stared up at him in open-mouthed awe.

"Sierra… Rose… Captain… this is the Emperor of the Daleks." The Time Lord said.

"**You destroyed us, Doctor. The Dalek Race died in your inferno, but my ship survived, falling through time, crippled but alive."**

"I get it. "

"**Do not interrupt!"** The first Dalek from the transmission said.

"**Do not interrupt!"** A second one repeated.

"**Do not interrupt!"** A third one told them too. Sierra arched her eyebrows while Rose and Jack flinched and winced, but the Doctor merely looked mildly annoyed, still strong and unwavering.

"I think you're forgetting something. I'm the Doctor. And if there's one thing I can do - it's talk. I've got five billion languages, and you haven't got one way of stopping me. So if anybody's gonna shut up, it's _you_!" The Time Lord said. The Daleks shuffled backwards slightly. The Doctor turned back to the Emperor Dalek. "Okey dokey. So, where were we?"

"**We waited here in the dark space, damaged but rebuilding. Centuries passed, and we quietly infiltrated the systems of Earth. Harvesting the waste of humanity. The prisoners, the refugees, the dispossessed - they all came to us. The bodies were filtered, pulped, sifted."**

Rose looked like she has an extremely nasty taste in her mouth. Even Sierra crunched her face. The games at the Satellite Five had indeed been sick but in a different way.

"**The seed of the Human Race is perverted. Only one cell in a billion was fit to be nurtured."**

"So, you created an army of Daleks out of the dead." The Doctor pointed out.

"That makes them... half human." Rose said, though uncertain.

"**Those words are blasphemy!"**

"**Do not blaspheme!"**

"**Do not blaspheme!"**

"**Do not blaspheme!"**

"**Everything human has been purged. I cultivated pure and blessed Dalek."**

But the Doctor was looking around at them all, clearly disturbed.

"Since when did the Daleks have a concept of blasphemy?" He asked them.

"**I reached into the dirt and made new life. I am the God of all Daleks!"**

"**Worship him! Worship him! Worship him!"**

"They're insane! A hundred years hiding in silence - that's enough to drive anyone mad." The Doctor said the other three. "But it's worse than that. Driven mad by your own flesh. The stink of humanity. You hate your own existence. And that makes them more deadly than ever." He shook his head before addressing to the Emperor Dalek. "We're going."

"**You may NOT leave my presence!"**

But they were already halfway towards the TARDIS, none of the Daleks in power to stop them.

"**Stay where you are!" **The first Dalek demanded but The Doctor just grinned at them mockingly before closing the door on them.

"**Exterminate!"**

* * *

The Tardis materialized to the Floor 500 control room. A second later, the Doctor, Rose, Sierra and Jack marched out of the TARDIS.

"Turn everything up. All transmissions, wide open, full power. Now! Do it!" The Doctor told the staff there.

"What does that do?" The male programmer asked while obeying.

"Stops the Daleks from transmatting on board. How did you get on? Did you contact Earth?"

"Well, we tried to warn them, but all they did was suspend our license because we stopped the programs."

"And the planet's just sitting there, defenceless. Lynda, what're you still doing on board? I told you to evacuate everyone."

"She wouldn't go."

"Didn't wanna leave ya." Lynda told the Doctor and smiled at him. Rose looked her up and down, clearly not liking her implication.

"There weren't enough shuttles anyway, or I wouldn't be here... we've got about a hundred people stranded on Floor Zero." The female programmer told them all.

"Oh my god! The fleet is moving! They're on their way!" The male programmer said, staring the screen in front of him.

The Doctor started frantically to rip armfuls of wires out of desks. The others watched him, clearly not knowing exactly what he's trying to do.

"Dalek plan - big mistake. Because what have they left me with? Anyone? Anyone? Oh, come on - it's obvious. A great big transmitter - this station." He was speaking hundred miles per hour now. Jack was staring at him, brow furrowed in concentration, trying to work out what he's on about. "If I can change the signal, fold it back, sequence it - anyone?"

"You've gotta be kidding." Jack almost exclaimed as he managed to work it out.

"Give the man a medal!"

"A Delta Wave?"

"A Delta Wave!"

"What's a Delta Wave?" Rose asked.

"A wave of Van Cassadyne energy. Fries your brain - stand in the way of a Delta Wave and your head gets barbequed!" Sierra told her. Jack stared at her. After all she had quoted word to word what he had been going to say. "What?" She gave him an innocent smile.

"And this place can transmit a MASSIVE wave! Wipe out the Daleks!" The Doctor added, oblivious to the short scene. Rose opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by Lynda.

"Well, get started and do it then!" The woman said. Rose shut her mouth, disgruntled.

"Trouble is, wave this size, building this big, brain as clever as mine, should take about - ooh - three days? How long till the Fleet arrive?"

"Twenty-two minutes." The male programmer checked from the screen. The Doctor pulled another cable out from underneath the desk, stared at the end of it for a second, looked up and beamed at them all.

* * *

While Jack was explaining things to the others, Sierra busied herself by helping the Doctor with the cables and wires.

"You sure you understand what to do?" The Time Lord asked as she bind three wires together and stripped some of them bare.

"Yeah, my father is… was… is…" Sierra frowned, thinking what would be the right term to talk about her family. "… yeah, is an engineer and my brother is almost a genius. I've picked a thing or two during the years. And lately I've read all kind of stuff at the Tardis library." She told him. The Doctor nodded silently.

"Rose, you can help us. I need all these wires stripped bare." He called then to the group. Rose joined him immediately.

"Right! Now there's FOUR of us!" The female programmer huffed.

"Then let's move it! Into the lift! Isolate the lift controls!" Jack said and got up. The Male and Female Programmer hurried off, and Lynda approached the Doctor. He stood up to meet her.

"I - I just wanna say, um... thanks, I s'pose. And... I'll do my best!" The woman said.

"Me too."

They shook hands and gave rather embarrassed laugh, while Rose glared daggers in the background. Lynda headed off, glancing back at the Doctor who watched her go. Rose stripped a wire with unnecessary ferocity. She dropped it to the ground as Jack approached them and stood before them, ready to say his goodbyes.

"It's been fun!" He said, trying to keep the atmosphere light. The Doctor smiled to him. "But I guess this is goodbye."

"Don't talk like that. The Doctor's gonna do it. You just watch him." Rose told the man.

"Rose..." Jack cupped her face in both his hands and looked her intensely in the eyes. "You are worth fighting for." He placed a brief kiss on her lips before turning to the Doctor. "Wish I'd never met you, Doctor!" He cupped his face too. "I was much better off as a coward." And he kissed him in exactly the same way as he had kissed Rose. He turned to look at Sierra who stood in the door way. "Sierra…"

But he was cut off when the girl took steps forward and hugged him tightly. "Oh… I…" He tried but settled in silence and hugged her back. Sierra kept her face against his chest for a moment before looking up and kissing him.

"This is the second time I've kissed you." She whispered so only he could hear. He cocked an eyebrow.

"How so?"

"Spoilers." She smiled and tapped his nose gently. He smiled back. It was a flicker of hope that he'd be alright. Everything she could give him at the moment. Sierra took a step backwards and Jack moved his hands on her shoulders. He looked at her and then at Rose and the Doctor.

"See ya in hell." He said and ran off. The Doctor and Rose watched him leave. Sierra didn't turn around. Rose turned back to the Doctor.

"He's gonna be all right..." The blonde said, trying to convince herself. The Doctor looked at her but didn't reply. "... isn't he?"

* * *

They were sitting on the floor in the space between the middle row of desks, working busily in a thick silence. They were now the only people left on Floor 500.

"Suppose..." Rose said slowly but didn't finish her sentence.

"What?" The Doctor asked after a while.

"Nothing."

"You said 'suppose'."

"No, I was just thinking... I mean, obviously you can't, but... you've got a time machine. Why can't you just go back to last week and warn them?"

"Soon as the TARDIS lands in that second, I become part of events. Stuck in the timeline."

"Yeah, thought it'd be something like that..."

They carried on working.

"There's another thing the TARDIS could do... it could take us away..." The Doctor continued. Rose glanced up at him briefly with a small smile. "We could leave. Let history take its course. We'd go to Marbella in 1989."

"Yeah, but you'd never do that."

"No, but you could ask." The Doctor looked up finally, meeting the blonde's eyes. "Never even occurred to you, did it?"

"Well, I'm just too good!" And the Doctor was just smiling at her. He glanced at Sierra then. She had been quiet during the whole conversation and not even looking at them. "You alright?"

Sierra stopped what she had been doing with bunch of wires and placed it slowly on her lap. She seemed to be thinking about her answer.

"I suppose I am." She finally said, still not looking at them.

"Anything you want to tell us?"

"I don't know. I… I don't know…" Her eyes widened a bit while an edge of panic found its way to her voice. The Doctor seemed to understand though. He stretched out his arm and pulled the girl in a tight hug. Rose watched her sadly. The girl was even further away from her home than Rose was from hers. The girl's parents didn't know she was travelling across the universe like Rose's mother did. It was alright for Sierra to be scared even if she didn't realize it. She was always keeping up the shield of knowing everything and being sure things would turn out alright but how broken she actually was inside? Rose could see that the rules Sierra had relayed on hadn't applied for a long time. And it was only because the girl herself was there with them.

"Shhh… It's alright. It's alright to be scared." The Doctor whispered to the brunette who was trembling on his arms.

"I…" The tears fell down on Sierra cheeks and she covered her face, bringing her knees up at the same time. Rose shifted forward and gave her a hug. (Hugging the Doctor too in process so Sierra was sandwiched between them) "Thanks… For being here."

"You are welcome. We are always going to be there for you, you know it." Rose whispered to her. Sierra looked up at her and something flashed behind her eyes.

"…Yeah."

The computer whirred in the background and the Doctor looked over at it, suddenly alert.

"The Delta Wave's started building. How long does it need?" He asked. He let go of Sierra and the three leaped to their feet to rush over to the computers. The Doctor sat down on one of the chairs and the girls peered over his shoulders. Sierra was drying her tears while Rose still held her hand. He pressed a few buttons, stared at the monitor... and his face fell.

"Is that bad?" Rose asked. No reply. "Okay, it's bad. How bad is it?"

The Doctor suddenly perked up and leaped to his feet, eyes bright.

"Rose Tyler, you're a GENIUS!" Rose smiled eagerly. He placed a kiss on her forehead. "We can do it! If I use the TARDIS to cross my old timeline... yes!"

And he shot off towards the TARDIS, Rose and Sierra close behind him. They went through the doors and straight over to the console.

"Hold that down and keep position." The Doctor instructed Rose, pointing a lever.

"What's it do?" The blonde asked.

"Cancels the buffers. If I'm very clever - and I'm more than clever, I'm _brilliant_ - I might just save the world. Or rip it apart..."

"I'd go for the first one."

"Me too. Now, I've just got to go and power up the Game Station. Hold on!" He ran out of the TARDIS again, full of energy.

"Don't!" Sierra managed to shout. Too late. The Tardis door was already slammed shut. Sierra collapsed on the jump seat, her head in her hands. Rose in the other hand stood by the console. She was waiting for him with wide-eyed expectancy, completely oblivious. They both heard the Sonic Screwdriver. The engines groaned and the rotor started to rise and fall.

"Doctor, what're you doing? Can I take my hand off? It's moving." Rose shouted, still oblivious what was going on. After some seconds she finally abandoned the lever and ran across the room, throwing herself against the doors. "Doctor, let me out! Let me out! Doctor, what've you done?"

"He sent you home." Sierra said quietly. Rose whirled around to look at her, maybe even lash out at the other girl but after seeing her tearstained face she decided not to. Instead the blonde leaned against the doors and slid to sit on the floor.

Suddenly a hologram of the Doctor appeared standing next to the console, flickering slightly. Rose's head jerked up when she hears him speak.

"_This is Emergency Programme One. Rose, now listen, this is important. If this message is activated, then it can only mean one thing. We must be in danger. And I mean fatal. I'm dead or about to die any second with no chance of escape."_

"No!" Rose got on her feet and ran forward.

"_And that's okay. Hope it's a good death." _Rose stopped at the top of the ramp, just staring at him._ "But I promised to look after you, and that's what I'm doing. The TARDIS is taking you home."_

"I won't let you." She rushed up the remainder of the steps. The Doctor's hologram continued to stare ahead of him, not looking at her.

"_And I bet you're fussing and moaning now - typical. But hold on and just listen a bit more. The TARDIS can never return for me. Emergency Programme One means I'm facing an enemy that should never get their hands on this machine. So this is what you should do: let the TARDIS die."_

Rose's mouth dropped open. Sierra kept staring the grating beneath her feet.

"_Just let this old box gather dust. No one can open it; no one will even notice it. Let it become a strange little thing standing on a street corner. And over the years, the world will move on and the box will be buried. And if you want to remember me, then you can do one thing. That's all. One thing… Have a good life. Do that for me, Rose. Have a fantastic life."_

Rose just watched as the hologram flickered before fading away.

"You can't do this to me." Rose strode over to the console. "You can't." She started working with the console, trying every lever, knob and button. "Take me back! Take me back!"

The engines eventually died down and grinded to a halt. Rose abandoned the console, ran across the room, flung the doors open and rushed outside. Sierra sat still. The Emergency Protocol One had said no word to her or about her. It was probably recorded before she had been accepted as an official companion. Rose ran back inside.

"Come on, fly. How do you fly? Come on, HELP ME!" She looked at Sierra. "Sierra?"

"Let's go." The girl said and got up. "There's nothing we can do."

"But… We can't just leave him!"

"We do as he says! He promised to keep you safe and that's what he did! A bit of gratitude would be better than meaningless anger and frustration!" Sierra yelled to the blonde. She didn't blame her for anything, just needed to let some steam out.

"You don't-."

"I don't what?! At least you have a home and family to return to. You have a chance to live your life. The Emergency Protocol was all about you. But what about me? I'm trapped in here. I have no family, no home, no _life_! My whole life was at the other side of the Void, in completely different universe! And here, what did I have? I had one rock to hold on and that rock was the Doctor. He is the only person I could trust in this world and hoped to trust me. He was the only one capable of helping me to get home someday. Why else you think I was so shocked and upset after the Gelths when he went inside my head and I had to flee? Or when he didn't invite me at first to travel with him? I had nothing else!"

The rant was over now. Sierra was breathing heavily and Rose stared at her wide-eyed. The other girl turned her back to the blonde and ran a hand through her hair.

"Geez, I can't even travel in time anymore. The Tardis has locked Timmy…" She sighed, annoyed. The steam was out now and she sat down on the floor before lying down. "What do I do now?" Sierra asked no one particular.

"I don't know." Rose said quietly and sat next to her. "I don't know."

* * *

They sat like that for a while before finally getting up and stepping out of the Tardis. Sierra was pretty much fine with the situation now. After all she knew what would happen and had managed to vent out her frustration. But she really hated those memory blanks she sometimes got. And Rose in the other hand… She was defeated.

Suddenly Mickey rushed round a corner at the end of the road and belt down the street. He had seen them stepping slowly out of the TARDIS doors. Rose leaned against the side as he caught up with them.

"I knew it! I was all the way down Clifton's Parade, and I heard the engines and I thought 'there's only one thing that makes a noise like that'." He told the blonde as he strode towards them. "…What is it?"

Rose didn't say anything, just she reached blindly out to him, clinging to him with her eyes squeezed shut. Sierra looked at the ground before starting to walk away.

"I leave this to you, Mickey. See you in a bit." She told him and eventually disappeared around the corner.

* * *

Back at Satellite Five the Doctor was working alone.

"_Sierra, I've called up the internal laser codes. There should be a different number on every screen - can you read them out to me?"_ Jack asked through an intercom.

"She's not here. Neither is Rose." The Doctor answered.

"_Of all the times to take a leak! When she gets back, tell her to read me the codes!"_

"They're not coming back."

"_What d'you mean? Where'd they go?"_

"Just get on with your work."

"_You took her home, didn't you? Well, took Rose home but what about Sierra? She isn't from here."_

"True, but I can't help that. I'm sorry I couldn't help her more."

Jack nodded, not at all surprised. He realized how hopeless their situation was.

"_The Delta Wave... is it ever gonna be ready?"_

"_**Tell him the truth, Doctor." **_The Doctor looked up to see an image of the Emperor Dalek projected onto the screen._** "There is every possibility that the Delta Wave could be complete, but no possibility of refining it. The Delta Wave must kill every living thing in its path - with no distinction between Human and Dalek. All things will die. By your hand."**_

The Doctor didn't answer.

"_Doctor... the range of this transmitter covers the entire Earth."_

"_**You would destroy Daleks and Humans together. If I am God, the creator of all things, then what does that make you, Doctor?"**_

"There are colonies out there. The Human Race would survive in some shape or form, but you're the only Daleks in existence. The whole universe is in danger if I let you live." The Doctor looked back at Jack on the other screen. "Do you see, Jack? That's the decision I've got to make for every living thing. Die as a Human or live as a Dalek. What would you do?"

_"You sent Rose home. She's safe. Keep working."_ Jack told the Time Lord. He decided not to bring up Sierra again. Her last words to him held hope about this not being the end and the Captain really wanted to know what it would be. He decided to meet her again so she could get her 'first kiss'.

"_**But he will exterminate you!"**_

"_Never doubted him, never will."_ The Captain grinned. And the Doctor grinned back and leaped to his feet, energised by Jack's trust. He strode across the room to the screen.

"Now, you tell me, 'God of all Daleks' - 'cos there's one thing I never worked out. The words 'Bad Wolf', spread across time and space. Everywhere, drawing me in. How'd you manage that?"

"_**I did nothing."**_

"Oh, come on. There's no secrets now, your worship."

"_**They are not part of my design. This is the Truth of God."**_

The Doctor raised his eyes to where 'Bad Wolf Corporation' was written in huge letters high on the wall.

* * *

Rose ran back to the Tardis. Sierra was standing by the console.

"Took you long enough." The brunette smiled to the blonde.

"You knew?!"

"Well… yeah. I did."

"You knew and didn't tell me?" Rose repeated incredulously.

"You had to figure it out on your own. And like you should've noticed a while ago, I get sometimes blank spots on my memory. It means that I don't remember what is going to happen and react how I would if I were like… you or some other normal person."

"And you are not normal?" Rose scoffed.

"Well… Like that Dalek said, I'm human non-human. Funny how the word 'human' can be both an adjective and a substantive. In this case it's a substantive though."

"We can save the Doctor and you are talking about grammar?

"Yup!"

"Okay. All the TARDIS needs to do is make a return trip. Just... reverse. Can you help me?"

"I'll do my best. Luckily I can pilot this girl." Sierra tapped the central pillar.

"Yeah, but we still can't do it." Mickey pointed out.

"Don't be such a spoilsport." Sierra crumbled. "Of course we can do it."

"The Doctor always said the TARDIS is telepathic. This thing is alive. It can listen." Rose explained to her boyfriend.

"It's not listening now, is it?" The boy snorted.

"No, it's not. It's following the Doctor's orders. I probably could get into telepathic connection with it through Timmy since via that link I've been able to assist with piloting. But it probably wouldn't be enough to override the Doctor's commands… After all he is the one bonded with old girl." Sierra told. She didn't want Rose ripping the Tardis open. She knew it would hurt the time machine. But some things had to happen. _"I'm sorry."_

"So we need to get inside it. Last time I saw you, with the Slitheen, this middle bit opened..." Rose trailed off, remembering Boom Town. "And there was this light... and the Doctor said it was the heart of the TARDIS. If we can open it, we can make contact. I can tell it what to do!"

"Rose..." Mickey said slowly.

"Mm?"

"If you go back, you're gonna die."

"That's a risk I've gotta take. 'Cos there's nothing left for me here."

"Nothing?"

"No." She looked away, avoiding Mickey's eyes

"Okay, if that's what you think... let's get this thing open."

* * *

The chain was now attached to the console and the other end to Mickey's beetle. Rose stood by the slot that would open while Sierra was at the other side of the console, partly out of sight. Mickey was driving on but the slot wouldn't open.

"Faster!" Rose screamed over the engine. Mickey slammed his foot down, trying so hard that steam was billowing from underneath the car, but still the console refused to budge. "It's not moving!" Rose shouted again. Rose chewed her lip with anticipation. The chain shuddered and snapped. Rose yelped in frustration, kicked the console and leaned on it, head down. Defeated again. Sierra didn't say anything. There was no disappointment in her eyes but neither was glee nor relief. She kept her eyes on the console right in front of her, bracing Tardis and herself to the pain when it would finally come.

* * *

Rose was slumped in one of the chairs next to the TARDIS console, broken, defeated, and staring into space. Jackie's standing over her.

"It was never gonna work, sweetheart. And the Doctor knew that. He just wanted you to be safe." Jackie told her daughter.

"I can't give up." Rose almost snapped. She would've if she had had enough energy for it.

"Lock the door. Walk away."

"Dad wouldn't give up."

"Well, he's not here, is he?" Rose stared at her in silence for a few seconds. "And even if he was, he'd say the same."

"No, he wouldn't." This time it was Jackie staring at her. "He'd tell me to try anything. If I could save the Doctor's life... try anything."

"Well, we're never gonna know."

"Well, I know. 'Cos I met him. I met Dad."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"The Doctor took me back in time, and I met Dad."

"Don't say that."

"Remember when Dad died...? There was someone with him." Her voice began to crack under the pressure of her suppressed tears. Jackie just stared at her while Sierra kept her mouth shut, following the scene. "A girl. A blonde girl. She held his hand... You saw her from a distance, mum! You saw her! Think about it! That was me. You saw me-."

"Stop it."

"That's how good the Doctor is-."

"Stop it! Just stop it!" Jackie shouted and ran from the TARDIS, crying, leaving Rose alone. Rose's whole body was now shaking with grief as she sobbed her heart out. Sierra looked away. The time passed.

* * *

Mickey and Rose were leaning against Mickey's car, looking at the TARDIS.

"There's gotta be something else we can do." Mickey stated.

"Mum was right... maybe we should just lock the door and walk away." Rose sighed.

"I'm not having that. I'm not having you just- just give up now. No way. We just need something stronger than my car... something bigger... something like that!" They both turned around as they heard the roar of an engine. Inside the Tardis Sierra heard it too and blanched. She looked at the center pillar.

"Don't worry, old girl, I'm here. I'm sorry about this but it needs to be done. I wish there would be a way to do this differently." She whispered. There was a silent hum only she heard before Rose dashed back in.

* * *

One end of the chain was now fixed to the truck and other to the console. Jackie was by the TARDIS doors, watching everything. Mickey was at the wheel, Rose by the console and Sierra opposite the blonde. The chain was stretching and stretching.

"Keep going!" Rose shouted.

"Put your foot down!" Jackie called to Mickey.

"Faster!"

"Give it some more, Mickey!"

The metal was beginning to creak... Sweat appeared on Sierra's forehead. It took everything she had so she wouldn't scream. She could hear it. She could hear Tardis's screams as she put up a fight.

"Keep going!"

"Come on, come on!"

The chain became more and more taut, the metal creaking even more loudly in protest. The silent screams and pain were almost blinding Sierra. She sank on her knees and clenched the edge of the console.

"Keep going!"

"Give it some more!"

"STOP IT!" Sierra screamed, not capable of holding it back anymore. It was thousand times worse than it had been with the Dalek. So bad that she finally lost her consciousness. It happened on the same exact moment when the catch ripped off and the panel flew open. The console room bathed in white light.

* * *

The Tardis hurtled through the Time Vortex. Inside Rose was staring into the depths of the machine and Sierra slowly waking up. There wasn't as much light as before but a lot anyways. Sierra screwed her eyes shut by the brightness. After some seconds she opened them again and heaved herself on her feet.

"Rose?" She looked at the blonde who was like hypnotized opposite her. Sierra was scared.

* * *

"**Alert! TARDIS materializing!"**

The Doctor's eyes snapped open and he spun around in shock.

"**You will not escape!"** The Emperor Dalek said.

The TARDIS materialized and the doors flew open. The Doctor threw a hand over his eyes as the blinding golden light of the Time Vortex poured out. In the doorway stood Rose, proud and almost majestic. Sierra walked slowly behind her, looking scared. An apology was written all over her face and she was keeping distance to the blonde. The Doctor stared at them, awestruck as the light curled around Rose when she stepped forward. The Doctor stumbled backwards, falling to the ground.

"What've you done?" He asked, equally scared as Sierra was. Rose gazed down at him, her eyes full of the light of the Time Vortex.

"I looked into the TARDIS. And the TARDIS looked into me." Rose – no, the Bad Wolf – told him.

"You looked into the Time Vortex - Rose, no one's meant to see that." The Doctor said.

"**This is the abomination!"**

"**Exterminate!"**

The Dalek fired at Rose. She lifted up her hand, freezing and reversing the bolt back into the gun.

"I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself. I take the words..." She waved her hand at the words 'BAD WOLF CORPORATION' written on the wall. "I scatter them in time and space." The words 'Bad Wolf' rose from the wall and floated away. "A message to lead myself here."

"Rose, you've got to stop this. You've got to stop this now." The Doctor told her but she just stared straight ahead like she hadn't heard him. "You've got the entire vortex running through your head. You're gonna burn."

"Please, Rose!" Sierra said behind her.

"I want you safe." The blonde said looking straight at the Doctor who could only stare. Rose had traces of tears on her cheeks. "My Doctor. Protected from the false God."

"**You cannot hurt me. I am immortal."**

"You are tiny. I can see the whole of time and space - every single atom of your existence, and I divide them." Rose raised her hand. The Dalek in the center was separated into golden, liquid-like particles. "Everything must come to dust... all things. Everything dies." She looked to the side, and all the Daleks lined up there were reduced to golden particles. "The Time War ends."

"I wish…" Sierra said, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"**I will not die. I cannot die!"**

All Dalek ships were reduced to golden dust. Rose stood with her arms raised, staring straight ahead of her, shaking.

"Rose, you've done it. Now stop. Just let go." The Doctor told her.

"How can I let go of this? I bring life..." She said blissfully.

"_Jack…"_ Sierra thought and without any other thoughts she dashed past them, towards the corridor where the Captain was.

"Sierra!" The Doctor called after her.

"I'll be fine! Just get Rose to safety!" She shouted over her shoulder before vanishing out of sight.

* * *

She found the right corridor just in time to see Jack suddenly taking a huge intake of breath as his eyes snapped open.

"Jack…" She ran towards him and kneeled by his head. She took his hand to her own. "Thank god… thank god…"

"Sierra?" The man asked, like not believing what he saw and heard.

"Yeah, you are alive. Didn't I tell you that you'd be fine?"

"Well you did say that it was your second kiss from me." He grinned and she leaned in to kiss him. It was brief, they both knew it wasn't the right time but needed to be done. "And this is the third."

"Yeah."

Groaning and wincing and with Sierra's help, Jack stood up. He staggered forward through the doorway. There was a pile of dust on the floor, where one of the Daleks had once stood. He stopped and ran his hand through it in confusion. Suddenly, he heard the sound of the TARDIS engines groaning to life. Jack ran through as fast as he could, Sierra right behind him, hand in hand.

* * *

But they were too late. The TARDIS was fading away, leaving Jack and Sierra behind. He stared after it, hurt and confused. Sierra held his hand tightly.

"Rose and I came back. She looked into the Time Vortex and wiped the Daleks out of existence." She told him quietly. "She also brought you back into life, with too much life."

"What do you mean?" Jack asked with a thick voice.

"You can't die. You might be killed but you will always come back to life. I'm sorry."

"Right… What now then?" He looked at her and she looked back at him.

"I don't know." And on that moment the Satellite gave out a loud creak. It was breaking down. Metal plates of the ceiling were falling down and the wall cracking.

"Oh dear." Jack hugged Sierra closer. The darted to the door and got out right before it was blocked. They ran through the corridors, avoiding getting squashed. Suddenly…

"_Emergency Protocol activated."_ Sierra glanced down at her wrist.

"Timmy?"

"_Emergency Protocol activated."_ The Vortex Manipulator said again. _"Code: Recorder."_

"What does that mean?" Jack asked when they became halt by the elevator doors. They were jammed.

"I don't know. The Tardis bonded with Timmy a while back. Even I don't know all features she installed."

"_Emergency transport in twenty seconds…"_

"Which means?"

"No idea. I probably get to safety, alone. This is not a bicycle. You need to get out of here though." Sierra whipped her Sonic Light out and started setting coordinates on Jack's Vortex Manipulator. Unfortunately it was slow work though.

"_Five…"_

"No, not yet…" Sierra muttered.

"_Four…"_

"I'll be fine. You know it right?" Jack smiled to her. Sierra looked up and stopped sonicing.

"_Three…"_

"Your first kiss right?" He tapped her nose gently. The beams shot out of her watch.

"_Two…"_

"Yeah, bye… Take care."

"_One…"_

Jack activated his Vortex Manipulator at the same time as Sierra's whisked her away.

"_See ya!"_

* * *

**A/N: Du-duunn! Where is she going? Any ideas? Tell me, tell me. ;) See you next week when we'll find out where did she end up.**

**And plz review!**


	14. Code: Recorder

**A/N: Heyy, everyone! This is the last chapter of the first series/this fic. In two weeks I'll start publishing the next one. I just need some time to write the chapters.**

**This chapter is kinda short but so was the Children in Need Special between the series. But this is nothing like that one. This is super-duper cool! I hope the other two in this one are in-character. I only used Wikipedia to search information wbout them. Why an I writing like this? Because I don't want to spoil the surprise!**

**And by the way, you'll finally get the description of Sierra's room now.**

**But now into the story!**

* * *

**14. Short stop (relatively speaking)**

Sierra flew through the Time Vortex uncontrollably. She twisted in all directions and was more than once upside down or backwards, sometimes both.

"The Doctor must be playing around after the regeneration…" She thought aloud, remembering the mini-episode before the Christmas Invasion. "I wonder where I'm headed." She was upside down again. Something was coming towards her. She could hear it even though she could see it yet. And when it was near enough to be seen, the light of the Vortex made it hard to recognize. It was the familiar humming noise that told the girl what it was. "Oh no… Oh-no, oh-no, oh-noou…"

Sierra flew straight at it. Didn't crash but flew straight through the walls. It didn't actually hurt but it felt like she had been hit in the face by a frying pan. For a second Sierra could see the console room before slamming into the wall and sliding on the floor. Everything blacked out.

* * *

There were only two people there besides her. The console room was larger than she had used to know and the colors were light grey, light grey and… light grey. How boring… The walls were full of round slots, unfit to be shelves though. Sierra had painfully hit onto them due her flight.

"_Destination reached. Code: Recorder completed."_ Her wrist device told her even though she was unconscious. The two people in the room ran to her.

"Oh my giddy aunt! How did she get here?" A male voice said. Sierra could only vaguely hear it and had troubles of recognizing it.

"She flew through the wall, Doctor." Another male voice answered. Scottish, Sierra noted the sharp 'R's. Doctor… She was with the Doctor… But which one? Code Recorder… That must mean… The Second? Oh, how her head was pounding.

"I saw it, Jamie. The question is 'how'. We are in the middle of Vortex! And through the wall? It's just impossible!" The Doctorwas heard to walk a circle nearby. His steps got closer and further in turns. The floor pounded under Sierra's head uncomfortably and she let out a groan. The steps stopped. "Awake, are we?"

"Guess so…" Sierra managed to mumble, keeping her eyes still shut.

"Can you sit?"

"Maybe…" Sierra pushed herself up but sank on the ground with a grimace when her back gave out a protest. It had hit the space between the circle slots and if her speed hadn't been reducing, she probably would have broken it.

"Careful, lass… You are hurt." The Scottish voice said.

"Oh, I didn't notice it." Sierra snapped quietly.

"Now, now, children, there is no need for arguments." The Doctor told them. Sierra opened her eyes slowly to see him crouched next to her. Jamie in the other hand was standing a few meters from her, obviously wary. Yep, it was the Second Doctor and Jamie McCrimmon. She had gone pretty far in the Doctor's timeline apparently.

"I'm fine…" Sierra pushed herself up and closer to the wall so she could lean against it. The motion made her head spin and she had to hold it with both hands.

"What's your name, young lady?" The Doctor asked calmly.

"Sierra… Sierra Adler."

"Nice to meet you. Can you tell me how you ended up here?"

"I… It was Timmy and some emergency coding the old girl put into him."

"Timmy?"

"My Vortex Manipulator." Sierra pointed her watch in her left wrist. "Named it Timmy."

"And who's 'old girl'?"

"Take a guess." Sierra squeezed her eyes shut in pain.

"According your instant trust in me and lack of response on your surroundings, I take it as you know who I am and where you are." The Doctor stated, not quite ignoring her previous answer. "Am I right?"

"Yes, I travel with you… future you. Another regeneration…"

"And by 'old girl' you mean…?"

"The Tardis… This Tardis."

"Good, now I know everything I need to. And I assume you know you can't tell me anything about my own future." The Doctor got on his feet, leaving Sierra sit.

"I know." She nodded.

"Good, but just for the sake of curiosity… which regeneration is it?"

"From Ninth to Ten… Oh god, Rose must be panicking… She is there alone." Sierra thought aloud.

"Alone where?" The Doctor frowned.

"Witnessing the regeneration… I missed it, for obvious reasons." Sierra indicated the room around her.

"Ah yes, shock it always is. I suppose… I've done it only once this far but Ben and Polly were quite suspicious and disbelieving about what had happened."

"Yeah…" Sierra mumbled, trying to get on her feet now. The Doctor got her by her arm and supported her. Jamie came closer finally and helped her too.

"If it was an Emergency Protocol that got you here, it must mean that you were in danger." The Time Lord stated.

"Yeah, the whole satellite was breaking apart and… well, you weren't there anymore." Catching his eyes, Sierra added hastily. "It's alright though, I told you to leave and get Rose to safety."

"I see…" The Doctor said slowly. Sierra noticed now that he was the same height than her. She held back a snicker with an effort. "Straight from the troubles then?"

"Yes."

"I'm not happy about your choice of weapon though." Sierra looked down to see her gun still strapped on her leg.

"It was… necessary. And I mostly use it for stunning."

"I see." She could see he wasn't quite satisfied by the answer.

"I need to get back to my own time though."

"When is it?"

"The 24th December 2006."

"I can get you close then. Not at the place though. I can't go crossing my own timeline."

"I know."

"But before that, you rest."

"What?" Sierra looked at him in astonishment.

"You obviously have been in big trouble and fight. You need to restore your energy before returning. Sleep as long as needed; this is a time machine after all." He smiled. "Tardis probably has made you a room by now."

"Yeah, old girl seems to like me. Well, she sees into our future after all." Sierra smiled back and the two men let her stand on her own now. She swayed a bit a gripped the Doctor's shoulder but let go of it soon and started to wander towards her room. Would it be the same than it had been in Ninth's Tardis?

* * *

Previously Sierra hadn't really bothered to take a look at her room. They had always been going to the next adventure and after them she had just collapsed on the bed. She would've done the same now too if the remains of adrenalin hadn't been rushing through her body. So now she took a good look at her room while changing into pajamas.

The walls were nice. The color was about the same than Nine's console room, metallic beige. Opposite the door was a comfy bed, for one person naturally, with inky blue bed cover. The bed was right next to the wall so it had only one bedside table at the left side of it(if you looked at the foot of the bed). At the left side of the bedside table was a single self for… stuff. All kinds of imaginary items were placed on it. Even though Sierra had no idea about some of them, they all truly appealed her eye.

Following the wall behind her bed to the right to the third wall, was a closet for her clothes. All kind of clothes she liked and what Tardis suggested her to wear. This way she didn't need to go through the giant wardrobe all the time. Although when she needed something special and era-appropriate she had to go there to look for it. Otherwise she did just fine with her own 'private closet'.

Next to the wardrobe was a door. A blank, dark brown wooden door, the type one called panel door. Same looking than the one leading to the corridor. Sierra had tested the brass door handle a couple of times but had never managed to open it. Not even after sonicing the door.

At the other side of the door was a similar single self than on the wall opposite it. It was placed lower though and had some of her personal items she didn't feel like keeping in her back pack all the time.

The last wall, which also had the door, had a dark, wooden desk and an impressive bookshelf between it and the doorway. All her favorites and some she hadn't read yet but had wanted to for a long time. The Tardis obviously knew her well and she noted with a smile that the singular shelves, the feet of the desk and the doorframes were all similar to the coral pillars in Nine's console room, though smaller and a tad more elegant and made of brass.

Sierra sank on a bean bag between her bed and wardrobe a book in her hands. Melody Malone was the author. Sierra frowned slightly. Would she risk at reading it? The spoilers and all. And she didn't want to stress out herself by crying over the events of the book…

"There could be a window here." She looked at the spot on the wall above the bean bag. And right on her words a window appeared there showing the space outside. The curtains were the same inky color than the bed cover and the frames the same dark wood than her desk. The curtain rod in the other hand copied the doorframes and other brass objects in the room. Sierra smiled. "Thank you Tardie."

Finally deciding against the reading, she got up and after placing the book back to the bookshelf, she plopped on her bed. Maybe she should take the Second Doctor's advice and sleep now when she could. After all Timmy had brought her there. She curled under her warm and soft duvet and fell asleep surprisingly fast.

* * *

Sierra woke up in the smell of tea. She blinked a few times and turned her head to right. She smiled as she saw a cup of tea on her bedside table. The Tardis must've known when she'd be waking up. Sierra got up and drank the tea slowly. It was her favorite, the same Azorean tea she had made at Baker Street when she had accidentally met Sherlock and John.

"Thanks." She smiled at the teacup. She got up and changed into new clothes. The clothes she had worn previously were quite ragged by now. Either due the battle she didn't really take part to or then due the Emergency Transportation in Time Vortex. With a regret she chucked those clothes down a shaft that appeared on the wall. The shaft disappeared soon and instead of it a mirror appeared. Sierra looked at her mirror image. She was wearing a black polo shirt and over it a green V-neck slipover. She also had tight dark blue jeans and dark greyish brown boots.

"Good enough." She nodded and took her bag. She turned it into a belt bag again and after taking a purple quilted jacket, a knitted hat of the same color, a light blue scarf and a pair of gloves, she left the room.

* * *

She found her way to the console room quickly and had been right by guessing the Doctor and Jamie would be there.

"Morning!" She greeted them. The Doctor looked up and smiled to her.

"Morning. Or evening. Depends how you look at it."

"I know. How long was I asleep?"

"About…" The Time Lord took a look at his watch. "Thirteen hours."

"Wow, that's pretty much."

"Yes, shall we go now? The Christmas 2006, London."

"Sure!"

They were near. Very near. Sierra stood up the opened Tardis doors, looking at the Vortex around them.

"When I say jump, jump." The Doctor instructed his eyes on the monitor.

"Okay!" Sierra shouted over the engines. "And thanks for everything!"

"See you again!"

"You can be sure about that." Sierra turned around to face the console room.

"Jump!" She let go of the edges of the doorframe and leaned backwards. She saw him for short moment before the doors slammed shut. He was waving to her. Sierra smiled: nice chap.

* * *

**A/N: Whew! It's over! I'm so proud of myself this is the second fic I've ever finished! Or can I count this one? After all this was only the first part of the X-amount of series... And what did you think of Second and Jamie. I haven't seen any episodes of Classic Who so...**

**Please review! We see you again in fourteen days(about). I love you all! ;D**


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